When Worlds Collide
by I Fancy Hugh Dancy
Summary: The knights have just regained their freedom. Now, a new, unusual, and frankly, unbelievable peril is presented to them by a mysterious woman. Will a certain knight take this mission upon his shoulders? [ Tristan.OC ]
1. Chapter 1

**+ WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE +**

_We were drawn from the weeds_

_We were brave like soldiers_

_Falling down under the pale moonlight_

_You were holding to me_

_Like a someone broken_

_And I couldn't tell you but I'm telling you now_

_Just let me hold you while you're falling apart_

_Just let me hold you and we'll both fall down_

_Fall on me_

_Tell me everything you want me to be_

_Forever with you _

_Forever in me_

_Ever the same_

_We would stand in the wind_

_We were free like water_

_Flowing down_

_Under the warmth of the sun_

_Now it's cold and we're scared_

_And we've both been shaken_

_Hey, look at us_

_Man, this doesn't need to be the end_

_Just let me hold you while you're falling apart_

_Just let me hold you and we'll both fall down_

_Call on me_

_I'll be there for you and you'll be there for me_

_Forever it's you_

_Forever in me_

_Ever the same_

_You may need me there_

_To carry all your weight_

_But you're no burden I assure_

_You tide me over_

_With a warmth I'll not forget_

_But I can only give you love_

_Forever with you_

_Forever in me_

_Ever the same_

_**- "Ever the Same" by Rob Thomas**_

**Written by:** Lourdes, a.k.a **rockerforlife**

**Rating:** T - MA for language, violence and adult situations

**Genre: **Romance/Drama/Action/Adventure - English

**Pairing:** Tristan/OC

**Summary:** The knights have just regained their freedom. Now, a new, unusual, and frankly, unbelievable peril is presented to them by a mysterious woman. Will a certain knight take this mission upon his shoulders? Tristan/OC. Timetravel / AU.

**Story influences**: King Arthur, Kate and Leopold, Da Vinci Code, Relic Hunter, Boondock Saints

**Disclaimer:** This story is pure fanfiction. People, places and names have been altered to fit into the plot. I do not own any of the knights and other recognizable characters from King Arthur. I own Lourdes, Connor, Arturo, Jennifer and various stock characters that appear in the story.

**Author's Note: **This was not the original Tristan/OC fic that I was planning to write, but the inspiration came to me in my sleep! Alas, I _just_ had to write this! It's a cliché idea, but hopefully not a cliché plotline. I promise it will _not _be an epic like my other story, "**My Knight**"! By the way, if you have not checked out that story, or my Tristan/OC oneshot, "**Breathe No More, Bleed No More**", please do so if you have the time!

**I would _love_ to hear from anyone and everyone! Any comments, questions, corrections, constructive criticism, suggestions and encouragement are welcome and appreciated!**

T T T

**CHAPTER 1**

_**465 A.D.**_

Seven steeds galloped languidly under the afternoon sun, rays of orange and yellow hues shining down upon the riders as if lighting their very path. The rolling plains of lush fields of grass lined their trek, disappearing into the distant horizon, as if neverending. Beneath the light blue, cloudless sky, King Arthur and his six knights of the Round Table rode freely, enjoying the sensations of the fresh, crisp air hitting their faces and breathing in the scent of wildflowers. Their surroundings were so serene, so tranquil, that it was almost eerie for the seven knights to experience this, to finally roam their homeland after so long: Sarmatia.

The fifteen years of forced service -- of war, pain, suffering and sacrifice under Roman decree -- were finally over. They were fortunate enough to have survived to see this day, to live these days. Now, they could finally journey the landscapes of their homeland as free men, could leave the memory of Britain and their assigned duties behind and could spend the rest of their years with their families. Relief, gratitude and pure joy coursed through their veins, for the tiny glimmer of hope that resonated in their hearts during all those years of war was enough to bring them to this day, to this very moment.

Upon leaving Britain, the seven had disbanded for a few months, returning to their respective homes and establishing their lives once more. Though, their bond of camaraderie was so strong that it was not long until they desired to meet with each other again, to tell each other tales of their lives and to share the happiness and fulfillment that they all felt with each other. So, upon King Arthur's request, Tristan, Lancelot, Galahad, Gawain, Bors and Dagonet all journeyed from their homes, scattered all across Sarmatia, to meet once more at Camelot.

For the day, the knights sojourned throughout the realm of King Arthur, familiarizing themselves with its surroundings, breathing in the wonders and the majesty of his kingdom. They talked and laughed jovially amongst themselves, telling each other tales of their homes, their families -- their new lives.

Tristan sat thoughtfully upon his horse, remaining quiet as his comrades continued to converse around him. His laconic demeanor was expected by the others, the knight's disposition never really changing for fifteen long years. With his black steed, he rode at the rear of the group, periodically watching his hawk fly freely in the distant sky, squawking contentedly. He liked this life, he decided -- to be free to do what he pleased, to follow nobody's orders but his own and to give his weapons some much needed rest. Only a few months ago, he had gone home to find that his father was still alive, that the village he had grown up in had not only expanded to thrice its former size, but was flourishing. He was content, indeed -- and yet, something tugged at his consciousness, at his heart, even, then screaming out at him to say that something was missing, that there was a large, visible void in his life. War had been his entire life before: killing, scouting, riding daily. But now that peace had been finally achieved through war, Tristan began to grow restless, feel unfulfilled, unsatisfied. This certainly annoyed the introverted knight, for not even tournaments, hunting expeditions and daily rides around his village satisfied his thirst for..._something_.

"Hey Tristan," Lancelot twisted his head back towards his comrade, a smirk pulling upon his lips as he stated, "You are the only one that has not answered the question."

Tristan looked up at this, giving the knight a curt shrug as he replied gruffly, "I did not hear the question."

This earned snickers from the rest of the knights around them. Lancelot only breathed out in mock exasperation, rolling his eyes to finish the effect. "We were each answering what we plan to do when we return home once more in three months." The brown-eyed, curly-haired knight explained, circling his hand as the other gripped the reign of his steed, "For example, I plan to have _at least_ four wives, and Bors here wanted to start his own country and call it...er...what was it again, Bors?"

"Borsville!"

Lancelot raised an eyebrow, glancing back towards Tristan warily. "...Yes. Borsville. Lovely." He cleared his throat, pulling the reign to the hard right to ride at Tristan's side. "Arthur, well, it is quite obvious as to what he needs to do here in Camelot, all that kingly stuff." Lancelot circled his hands, then motioned them toward each of the knights as he continued, "Dagonet is apparently going to help run Bors' newfound country as his personal bodyguard. Galahad here wants to travel and see the world. And Gawain desires to take a wife..." the cheeky knight whispered to Tristan in a low tone, "...who I will be visiting quite often."

"Sod off, Lancelot!" Gawain retorted, shoving the now laughing knight. "My axe will get you before you get to my wife!"

A hearty laugh erupted from all of the men -- save Tristan, who only observed the group with a raised eyebrow. Placing two fingers between his lips, he whistled briefly, and his imposing, yet gentle, hawk obediently flew to his shoulder, squawking happily. He petted it tenderly as the laughter of his comrades began to die down.

As they all turned their glances back to him expectantly, Galahad piped up, "Will you not take a wife, Tristan?" The young, green-eyed knight inquired curiously, eyes twinkling. "Or is that not even a possibility in your mind?"

Tristan merely shrugged and replied quietly, "Wherever the road leads me, that is where I shall go."

T T T

_**2006**_

A gunshot loudly pieced the night sky.

"Shit!" Lourdes Ville-Amour instinctively ducked as she sprinted as quickly as her feet could carry her through a dark, dirty alleyway. Her long, raven hair being tousled by the wind, she breathed laboriously, having ran for what seemed like hours. Arms moving wildly in front of her, she periodically looked back to her assailants, hearing their quick footsteps coming closer and closer behind her. Eyes desperately darting in front of her, she spotted the end of the alleyway, certainly, a light at the end of the tunnel for her.

With aching limbs, she used every ounce of strength left in her body to run faster, recognizing the busy street in front of her. Finally making it onto the sidewalk, she made a hard left, zigzagging through curious, and even frightened, bystanders. Using the cover of darkness to her advantage, she ran through dimly-lit streets, searching desperately for a way to escape. Seeing such an escape coming towards her, she placed two fingers in her lips, briefly whistling. Waving a hand in the air, the yellow taxi finally stopped at her side with a skid. With much haste, Lourdes literally _jumped_ into the vehicle, pointing straight ahead.

"Drive!" she cried breathlessly, looking back behind her to see if she would catch a glimpse of her assailants. Her alarmed disposition startled the burly driver, though he nodded profusely in acquiesce, stepping on the gas forcefully. With the rubber tires skidding on the asphalt, the taxi took off with lightning speed. Lourdes jolted from side to side as the driver swayed the vehicle through traffic. Though, the fear of an impending car accident did not weigh heavily in her mind, for now, the young woman could breathe a sigh of relief, momentarily safe from numerous bullet wounds.

The middle-aged driver eyed her from the rearview mirror. "Where exactly are we going?"

"7 Greenleaf Crescent." She quickly breathed out, leaning back upon the black, leather seats, shutting her eyes tightly. As the driver merely nodded in acquiesce and did as she instructed, Lourdes tried to block out the mental images of what had just transpired, gritting her teeth as she did so. In all of her 20 years, she had never expected that she would be here, at this very moment, trying to outrun and hide from a band of mobsters, who, a few moments ago, were trying to drill several bullets into her body. Shuddering at the thought, her mind screamed out to her_, You almost got bloody shot! Died! Gone forever and ever!_ "I get it." Lourdes mumbled to herself, eyes glancing out the window at the passing scene. As the taxi sped through a small bridge, she saw the city in the distance, its lights shining brightly, mimicking the twinkling stars in the dark, velvet sky. This scene would have been breathtakingly beautiful, serene even, for the young woman. Though, the new peril that she had been recently introduced to had erased every calm, positive emotion in her being.

Taking the object that caused this, and so much more, out from her jean pocket, Lourdes surveyed an amber amulet, its outer rims dented with intricate markings, its backing adorned with words that she could not understand, and at the front centre, a single red ruby, gleaming brightly, even in the dim light. The Amulet of Lyoness. Clutching it in the palm of her hand briefly, she carefully placed it back into her pocket, eyes rising to survey the road in front of her. Recognizing her neighbourhood, she heaved another sigh of relief, thankful that she was now in the proximity of her home.

Looking at her watch, she cursed inwardly at the time. Hastily prying money out of her wallet, she quickly shoved her outstretched hand beside the driver.

"Stop here."

As the man slammed on the breaks, Lourdes flew out of the taxi, running into her beach-side condominium. Taking the elevator to the very top floor, she scurried into the long corridor, patting her pockets for her keys. Just as she turned the corner to her home, she suddenly bumped into someone, causing her to step back a few paces.

"Baby, there you are!"

She looked from the steady hands that held her, then upwards to behold Connor MacManus' face. Lourdes' blonde-haired, blue eyed Adonis eyed her lovingly, a smirk pulling upon his thin lips. With Lourdes feigning a smile, they kissed each other in greeting, then proceeded to enter Lourdes' home.

Almost immediately, Lourdes darted throughout the condominium. Retrieving a large bag from her walk-in closet, she proceeded to pack a change of clothes and some provisions with haste, recklessly scurrying about the space to gather what she needed. Connor looked at her with widened eyes, confused as to what she was doing. "Leaving already?"

Eyeing her wall clock, then the full moon outside in dread, Lourdes twisted her head towards him. "Connor, I need a favour."

"Anything."

"I need you to drive me to Lincoln Park." she informed him quickly, running out of the door. He quickly followed her, eyebrows still furrowed as she continued, "I need to be there in the next 15 minutes."

Rushing into the parking garage on the first floor, the two hopped into Connor's black Mustang. In a matter of seconds, the wheels screeched as he began to drive, flying into the lamp-lit suburban streets.

As Lourdes breathed out in order to calm her senses and regain her wits, Connor eyed her worriedly, eyes squinted. "Are you gonna keep me in the dark about what you're planning to do at Lincoln Park, at _this_ time of the night, with a large bag strapped across your back?"

Lourdes wanted desperately to tell him everything, to let him know everything that she had gone through and that which she was currently going through. Though, she knew that it would be dangerous -- not only for her, but for Connor as well -- if she dragged him into this mess. Fearing that he would only worry about her, she feigned another smile, taking his hand in hers. "Just meeting a bunch of friends to go camping."

"At a _park_?"

Lourdes shrugged simply. "Why not?"

Now furrowing his brows in confusion, Connor frowned, blue eyes concentrating back on the road in front of him. Lourdes had been acting so strangely, so secretive of late, answering with her trademark witty remarks and silly jokes whenever he tried to ask her a serious question. His growing concern had only turned into suspicion, but Connor blocked those thoughts from his head, placing the blame for her odd disposition on the fact that she had only recently moved in to her own condominium, miles away from her family, miles away from everything that she had known.

As they reached the parking lot of the park, Lourdes immediately jumped out of the car. Connor hadn't even turned off the engine when she had begun to sprint towards what he dimly saw was a lake. Even more confused by her actions, he retrieved his keys from the ignition, stepping out of the car. Though, as he looked back in the direction where Lourdes was headed, he saw no one in sight.

Lourdes had vanished.

T T T

**A/N:** What did you guys think? Please review! Thank you!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** This next chapter will explain more! Thanks for reading!

**TweakyTree**: Thanks for your review! It _did_ make me continue! lol Enjoy this next one!

t t t

**CHAPTER 2**

_**2006 - A week before**_

Arturo Ville-Amour heaved a heavy, dust-covered book from his library shelf. Dropping it on the table upon a heap of other books in front of his granddaughter, Lourdes, he quickly sifted through the stiff, golden-brown pages, looking over the brim of his glasses as he did so. Meanwhile, Lourdes squinted her eyes and coughed, waving her hand in the air as the dust began to surround her.

The two were in Arturo's grand library, the room having shelves on every wall, towering many metres above them. Lourdes could not relinquish the idea that her grandfather had thousands of books stored and catalogued in this one room, the space also adorned with numerous historical and ancient objects. As a retired archaeologist, Arturo was among one of the best and brightest when it came to artifacts, relics and many objects of the past. Studying a bit of history and archaeology herself in university, Lourdes adored and admired her grandfather, for his reservoir of knowledge about these subjects was indeed large.

"Ah ha, here we are!" The old man exclaimed excitedly, snapping his fingers. With a cursory glance at the page, his index finger stopped at a little illustration, pointing upon it repeatedly as his eyes landed back on Lourdes. "The Amulet of Lyoness."

Lourdes leaned forward on her seat in order to take a closer look. Tilting her head, she examined the illustration for a moment as she pursed her lips into a thin line. "So_ this_ is the amulet that has been causing all this ruckus at the British Museum?" Raising a laconic brow, she twisted her head to face her grandfather. "What does your ex-friend Cyriac want with it?"

"What I am about to tell you is hard to believe, granddaughter, but it is true." Arturo heaved a sigh, chest visibly rising and falling as he stated, "With the right spell, my dear, this amulet can be used to travel across the time/space continuum." He continued rather grimly, sighing as he placed his wrinkled arms upon the glass table. "If this gets into the wrong hands, Lourdes -- such as Cyriac's -- the course of the future -- of history itself -- will hang in the balance."

Lourdes squinted her eyes as she tried to comprehend what her grandfather had just told her. Suspending her disbelief for the moment, she only glanced back at the illustration, then back up at her grandfather. Trying to grasp the entire concept, Lourdes piped up unsurely, "You mean the future can be changed...in the past?"

Arturo pinched her nose lightly in pride. "Precisely."

Swallowing, Lourdes continued, with more confidence lining her voice this time, "And I am guessing that the past can be changed...in the future?"

Arturo snapped his fingers quickly. "Right-o."

Lourdes breathed out incredulously, shaking her head, "I've heard crazy tales in my lifetime, grandfather, but this certainly takes the cake."

Taking a seat beside her, Arturo's face had gone serious, the purpose of their meeting now weighing heavily upon his heart. _This is the best thing to do_, he said inwardly as he gazed upon his young granddaughter. He could barely believe that he could even _think_ of roping her into this mess in the first place, having fought this battle against his rival and, rightly, ex-best friend, Cyriac, for many years. Arturo felt a pang of guilt then, for his lifelong work and scholarly interest in historical artifacts and relics had gotten him into this mess -- and now, his own family. Taking Lourdes' hand in his as if in advanced comfort, he said, "Cyriac's cronies have stolen the amulet from the National Museum of England. After that, all I know is that they have stored it in a nearby warehouse in the Docks."

"Grandfather, why are you telling me this?" Recognizing the look that she received from Arturo, Lourdes' heard jumped. Biting her lip nervously, she promptly inquired, "W-what do you want me to do?"

"Retrieve the amulet."

Without warning, Lourdes instantly stood at this in disbelief, almost knocking her chair backwards. "Grandfather, you _must_ be joking me! Cyriac probably has dozens of guys to guard this amulet, and you want _me_ to go and retrieve it?" Whimpering, Lourdes sat back down. "You might as well have hammered the last nail into my coffin."

Closing his eyes, Arturo rubbed his temple with his fingers, knowing precisely how she felt and the risks of this mission. Breathing out heavily, he pleaded, "Lourdes, you must do this, for unspeakable things will happen if Cyriac gets a hold of this amulet. He is greedy, heartless and lusts for ultimate power. With the power of the amulet, he will do the unthinkable, wreak ultimate havoc until he gets his way. You _know_ this."

"Grandfather, why me?" She squeaked silently, hanging her head low as she felt dread course throughout her veins. She wasn't stupid. She _knew_ the risks of actually trying to steal back the amulet from Cyriac and his men. A part of her felt dejected then, at the fact that her own grandfather was asking her to risk her life for this, to play heroine when she was not even _close_ to being one.

"I am too old." Arturo admitted sullenly, body even wavering as he stood. "And we must not tell anyone else of this, nor attract any attention to his peril, for if this knowledge spreads, then we will have more to deal with. And believe me, if anymore men like Cyriac discover the powers of this amulet, well, let's just kiss the world as we know it goodbye."

"And after I retrieve the amulet from Cyriac?" Lourdes continued impatiently, not feeling the least bit reassured.

"You must use it."

"What!" Lourdes stood up abruptly once more, this time completely knocking her chair to the ground. Her eyes widened in disbelief once more, pointing a steady finger at her grandfather. "Gramps, you are bloody mad. That, or senile. Maybe both!"

"Hey, I am _not_ senile _or_ mad!" Arturo quickly defended, running his fingers through his wispy grey hair, "I am quite intelligent, if I do say so myself." Clasping his hands in front of him, his dark eyes met Lourdes' own brown orbs once more, face gone serious. "You must use _this_ amulet that is here, in 2006, in order to travel back in time to retrieve _the same_ amulet in the past and bring it back to me. I will do the rest from there."

"Oh, I get it." Lourdes said with a tint of sarcasm as she crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "So _I_ do all the hard labour and _you_ do your hocus pocus thing and poof! Problem solved, world saved?"

"That's pretty much the jist of it, yeah."

"Wow." Lourdes gave out a low whistle, shaking her head. "This amulet is high tech shit, eh gramps?"

"Actually," Arturo held out a finger in front of him, "it was conceived by the Sarmatians more than 1500 years ago." Reaching out his arm, he grabbed another book from the shelves, then placed it atop the growing pile of books. "Originally it had belonged to the grandmother of the wife of Meliodas, King of Lyoness. After the Queen's death, the amulet had disappeared, its whereabouts a mystery to archaeologists and historians for centuries." He repeatedly pointed a finger in his temple, smirking victoriously. "But, when they were all searching for it in _her_ grave, I knew better." He stood, closing the book abruptly in front of him. "A valuable family heirloom, buried with the Queen of Lyoness? Not a chance." He held out a hand in question. "Tell me, what do people do with family heirlooms?"

Lourdes shifted her brows at this unexpected question, giving her inquiring grandfather a shrug. "Wear...them?"

Arturo rolled his eyes and groaned. "_Other_ than that?"

Furrowing her brows, Lourdes thought carefully, placing her hand upon her chin. Then, it suddenly hit her. Snapping her fingers, she exclaimed, "Pass them down!"

"Congratulations." Looking at her from above the brim of his glasses, he continued lightly, "So, I have been doing research about the Queen of Lyoness and her family and found that she had a son, whose name was Tristan. Tristan, the legendary knight of King Arthur, one of the knights of the Round Table. It makes it quite simple for us, really, because he was her one and only child -- and I have absolutely _no_ doubt in my mind that the amulet was given to him and remained with him until his death." He plopped down beside her. "Which explains why those archaeologists found the amulet in a mysterious, unmarked grave -- not the tomb of the Queen of Lyoness."

"So this Tristan dude," Lourdes circled her hand, prodding her grandfather to continue, "what does he have to do with all of this?"

Arturo pursed his lips into a thin line and continued to explain his reasonings. "I am certain that he will have this amulet in his being." He placed a hand on Lourdes' shoulder. "You must know from your research that Tristan did not become King of Lyoness, but, at first, was sent to do service to King Mark of Cornwall; and, that when he was only 10 years old, he was forced, by Roman decree, to serve as a knight of Rome for 15 years." Arturo gave out a sigh, shrugging. "Although he is a knight, I believe that it will be much easier for you to come in contact with him than with his queen mother, or any other member of the royal family that had once owned the amulet." Finishing succinctly, Arturo stated, "You must go back to the time of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table, find him, retrieve the amulet from him, and return here."

Lourdes squinted her eyes as she tried to comprehend everything that her grandfather was saying. When logic smacked her in the face, she gasped. She began slowly, then grew progressively excited as she said, "If I bring the amulet back from the past into the future, then I am changing the future in the past!"

"I think you're getting smarter."

She continued in disbelief, "...Which then means that the course of history will be changed, therefore the archaeologists will not find it in Tristan's grave, and, consequently..."

"...Cyriac will not have his hands on it."

Lourdes sat back in her chair, breathing out in incredulousness. "Bloody brilliant."

"I thought you'd like it." Arturo beamed, eyes gazing out the window. "But, even with this amulet, time-travel can still be a tricky thing. It has laws and rules just like any other phenomenon on this earth." She eyed him expectantly, adrenaline pumping into her blood. He continued, "This particular amulet and its power coincides with the spell of the Lady of the Lake and a full moon. With amulet at hand, what you must do is walk into a large body of water, say the spell, all during a full moon." Bustling about the room, he checked his nearby computer, clicking the mouse as he said, "If my calculations are right, there will be a full moon in a week's time. So, you have approximately that much time in order to retrieve the amulet from Cyriac and, consequently, begin your mission."

"That soon?" Lourdes began to feel nervous at this newly given 'mission', her stomach tying into knots. "Grandfather, I'm no action heroine. I don't know those fancy kick ass moves, and I can barely wield a weapon." She frowned, looking upwards at him. "How do you even know that I can pull this off?"

"It's simple," Arturo smiled, kissing her forehead, "I have faith in you."

T T T

_**465 A.D.**_

"Holy shit."

Wading out of the knee-high water shakily, Lourdes sucked in a breath, eyes surveying her surroundings. To her disbelief, she could not recognize where she was, her surroundings devoid of park benches, large oaks, and of course, a parking lot. They were all replaced by rolling fields, so large that they disappeared in the distance; tiny, thatched houses, clustered only two hundred yards from where she stood; and a large, imposing castle, surrounded by a masterfully built curtain wall, looming protectively behind them. Looking behind her, she felt a sense of familiarity with the lake that she stood in.

It was then that it hit her.

_This must be the same lake in the park -- just 1500 years ago!_, she mused to herself, trying desperately to dry off her legs. Shifting the bag upon her back into a more comfortable position, she took a few steps forward, as if gingerly feeling the ground to see if it was real. _Bloody hell, grandfather was right! It worked!_ Thinking back to what he had told her the previous night, he had said, "While saying the spell, think hard upon when and where you want to go. Think hard upon Tristan, Arthur, and his legendary knights of the Round Table. The amulet will do the rest." She had laughed inwardly then, poking that this amulet had to have some type of homing device built within it.

Squealing audibly, she hopped in place gleefully, the heavy weight of her 'mission' momentarily erased from her mind. All disbelief had faded, only to be replaced by faith. Though at first frightened to the bone about this mission, now she felt as though she was some practitioner of a 'dark magic', feeling quite proud of herself. Lourdes could barely believe that the spell had actually worked -- that _she_, all by her lonesome, had succeeded in making it work! A smug smile pulling upon her lips, she patted her hands in mock conceit, "Saving the world, one amulet at a time." Though, her moment of celebration did not last long, for as she took a few more steps forward, the sound of thundering hooves sounded in the distance, galloping steeds heading straight towards her.

"Shit!" she cursed out loud, scrambling, with all her belongings, to hide behind a nearby tree. Catching her breath, she pressed her back upon a large oak, then holding her breath as the riders came closer to her. Her ears perked up to the sound of their voices.

"Arthur desires to meet with all of us. Think you Tristan is somewhere nearby?"

"Probably. You know 'im. 'e likes to frolic around all by 'is lonesome."

"Hmm. I see his hawk right there. He _has_ to be somewhere close by."

_Tristan!_, Lourdes screamed inwardly, the nervousness and fear in her heart somewhat dissipating. So she _had_ succeeded in going back to the right time! At first, she was afraid that she wouldn't even make it to the right _century_!

As she turned around, she was suddenly grabbed from behind and roughly slammed back onto the trunk of the tree. "Son of a..." she gritted her teeth at the stabbing pain, wincing as she felt herself being pinned upon the tree trunk by two strong hands. As she tried to jolt from the grasp, she was held firm, her assailant's grip unyielding. "Jesus fucking Christ, let me go!"

As she looked up, her eyes met dark, cold, brown orbs, which were peering down intently upon her, squinted. She beheld a man with strong, striking and sharp features, his high cheekbones adorned with four similar markings, his dark, shaggy hair partially in braids. His rough, seemingly unkempt beard and moustache covered, what she thought, was quite a handsome face. She was taken by surprise -- not only by his sudden appearance and overt aggression -- but by the fact that, for some reason, she felt no fear in this man's presence, even though his intentions with her were not clear. She did not speak with him, and he not to her, and they only stood there for many moments, intense eyes locked.

"Ah, Tristan, there you are."

The two looked up at the call to see three riders coming upon them languidly. Lourdes recognized their attire and concluded that they were knights. Though, her lips curled into a snarl as she also recognized the smirks and amused expressions upon their countenances, their eyes never leaving her and...

"Tristan?" she breathed out, eyes wide as her head snapped up to the man before her. At her quiet call, the handsome man peered down upon her once more, eyebrows slightly furrowed as he glanced at her in question. She blurted out quickly, "Sir, if you will, I _must_ speak with you, for there is..."

"Tristan, leave your liaisons be for now!" A curly-haired knight interrupted. He called out from a few yards away from them, beckoning his arms for the knight to come. "Look, if _I_ could leave a naked woman in _my_ bed, I am pretty sure that _you_ can wait." This remark received a chorus of chuckles from the other two knights by his side. "Come with haste! Arthur desires to meet with all of us."

As if in indecision, Tristan's body became tense, looking alternately down at Lourdes, then to his three comrades. When he decided to leave her be and began to walk away, Lourdes grabbed his arm quickly, pulling him back. "Wait!" She said with haste, gulping quickly as Tristan looked down to where her hand had grabbed his arm, then up to her brown orbs. "Please, Sir Tristan, I've important business with you."

As Lourdes stepped out from behind the tree, all the knights were taken aback by her rather..._peculiar_...attire. Her 'breeches' were dark and tight, sitting low upon her hips and adorned with what _they_ made out to be a spiked belt. Her arms were bare, revealing only a black, spaghetti-strapped tank-top that hugged her curves. Her long, raven hair bounced freely around her, somewhat covering her dainty face.

Not knowing exactly what to do, the three knights unsheathed their swords in defense, for the image in front of them was nothing like they had ever seen before. _This woman is not from here_, they all said inwardly, eyeing one another with stiff jaws. Seeing their rather large blades held menacingly in front of them, Lourdes immediately unhanded Tristan, who continued to eye her silently.

"Ahhh, shit." She paced a few steps back. Not desiring to be stabbed that day, Lourdes slowly put her hands up in the air in surrender. "Good sirs, I mean no harm. I...I come in peace! Please, I need your help..."

"Do ye, now?" Another one of the mounted knights replied gruffly with a skeptical eyebrow, his bald head shining in the afternoon sun. "Tell us, then, lass, what do ye want us to do?"

Choosing her words wisely, Lourdes slowly croaked out, "Take me...to...your leader?"

t t t

**A/N:** If you are confused about something, don't hesitate to let me know! .smiles. More will be explained in the next few chapters!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Thank you guys for reading, reviewing, saving this story! I'll try to work on it as much as possible, as I am still writing my other KA fic, "**My Knight**". If you've read through it, or most of it, you'll realize that it's an epic, so it takes a lot of my time. But have no fear -- I have not yet abandoned this story! We can all use a little more Tristan in our lives, right? -grins- Enjoy!

Also, for this story, I will be playing a lot with time -- as it _is_ a pretty important aspect of the story, haha -- so I'll probably be jumping back and forth, doing a lot of flashbacks, etc. I'm just experimenting with my writing technique and hopefully expanding it as well. I just hope that I don't confuse people! If you ever need something explained, let me know!

**_Jenni_**: Hey! I'm glad you found this! I really had more ideas to work with, so I just put it all into this story! -smiles- Tristan friggen rocks my socks! I'm glad you're liking it though. And as I've promised, the plot will move more quickly than in "My Knight", so it won't be unbearably long! haha Enjoy this next one!

**_HateFilled-Demon_**: Here's an update! -smiles- Hope you like it!

**_Withered Lover_**: Yeah man! I love working with cliche ideas, but weaving a different/original plot along with it. Isn't that what creative writing is all about? lmao! But yeah, I _loved_ Timeline, even though critics didn't! haha Paul Walker made a funny medieval guy. I hope you enjoy this one as much as "My Knight"!

**_Readerfreak10_**: I'm glad you think so! -smiles-

**_Raging Raven_**: Yaye! You like this story, too! lol And yeah, that's a cliche line that I thought would've been funny for Lourdes to say!

**_Black Knight83_**: Hey! Yeah, I totally like the timetravel idea. Let's just hope I make this much more original though! I just wish I could write out this entire story in like, one hour! Hope you enjoy this next one!

**Props to**: **_Scottishgal12, Saxongirl345, TweakyTree_**

t t t

**CHAPTER 3**

Seven pairs of eyes scrutinized the young maiden in front of them. Some eyed her with heightened defense, some with puzzlement, and some -- well, one knight in particular -- eyed her with savage lust. Tristan only gazed upon her with a stone gaze, all expression expertly masked from his countenance. He replayed what she had told him in his mind, how she apparently had 'important business' to discuss with him. With _him_? Tristan scoffed to himself, eyebrow raised skeptically as he mused. _What could _she_ possibly want with _him?

Lourdes felt as though she was in the defendant box in court. The feelings of nervousness, fright, happiness and anxiety all simultaneously and recklessly collided within her being, rendering her stiff and frozen on the spot as she stood, hands clutched in front of her. She couldn't help but pass a pleading glance towards Tristan, fully knowing that the knight had heard her pleading voice a few hours ago, that he _knew_ that she was there for him. Through the quite uncomfortable silence in the room, Lourdes gazed at each knight individually, unable to believe that _she_ was actually standing in the legendary room of the Round Table, standing in the presence of King Arthur and his legendary knights.

This was _definitely_ a good start to her mission, for now she had the chance to actually retrieve the amulet from Tristan and, consequently, defend the world from Cyriac's evil actions. When she could not take the silence any longer, she opened her mouth to speak. Though, before she had the opportunity to do so, a well-built, green-eyed man, whom she guessed was King Arthur, asked,

"Why do you dress so indecently in my court?"

At his query, her mouth dropped, hanging, agape, quite taken by surprise. The other knights twisted their heads towards Arthur, incredulous expressions plastered on their countenances. Lourdes even faintly heard the curly-haired knight, whom she recognized as one of the knights that she had first met, whisper to a knight that reminded her of a gentle lion, "_I_ am certainly not complaining." Itching quite badly to retort at the cheeky man, she ultimately suppressed the temptation, swallowing her words. The rest of the knights cleared their throats at their King's bluntness, but turned their heads back towards Lourdes and awaited her answer. Lourdes was _more than _offended by this. Taking a quick glance at her outfit, she snapped. "Hey, leave my sense of style alone. I don't tell _you_ what cape to wear, now do I?"

Upset, Arthur's eyes widened at her impolite retort. Some of the knights bit their bottom lips at this, trying to suppress their oncoming giggles. Though, one knight cleared his throat, gaining her attention. She looked upon him and perceived him to be the youngest out of the group, his boyish face hidden underneath a thick beard and moustache, his twinkling green eyes alive with mirth. Galahad stated quietly, "Milady, I believe King Arthur was referring to your..." he trailed off slightly, as if trying to find the proper words, "...state of undress."

At this, Lourdes winced, her history classes at university now hitting her. _Respectable_ women, at this time, were expected to cover almost every inch of their bodies, every limb to the very last inch. Desperately trying to cover her arms with her hair, she cleared her throat, now embarrassed. _They must be getting quite the peep show right now_, Lourdes mutttered to herself, the men's eyes still not leaving her form. Breathing out, she bowed her head, "I apologize, your majesty. I am not from these lands, and I know not of your customs."

With a nod of acceptance from Arthur, he began, "Tell us then, milady, what brings you to my court at Camelot?"

Lourdes took in a deep breath. _Here goes nothing_. She began, "What I am about to tell you, sirs, may be hard to believe. No, it _will_ be hard to believe, especially since I have no proof of my words..." she trailed off, though found that each of their eyes were transfixed to hers, their attentions fully drawn to her. She continued, "...But I am in desperate need of your help. One of your knights, in particular."

"Who?" The largest knight, resembling a gentle giant, questioned quickly.

Lourdes' eyes landed upon the aforementioned knight. "Sir Tristan."

All heads then turned to Tristan, who did not break his hard gaze on Lourdes. Swallowing at his scrutinizing, observant eyes, she continued as steadily as possible, "You see, Sir Tristan has with him something of value from where I am from. An amulet, passed down from generation to generation, through his family. The Amulet of Lyoness." Tristan tensed at this, his fingers gripping the arms of his chair. Even his own _comrades_ did not know that he possessed this amulet! Lips curling into a snarl, the maiden captivated his attention once more. "This amulet holds unspeakable power, and it is greatly desired by evil men..."

Lancelot nudged Tristan at this point, whispering, "Is that why you are so good in battle?"

Tristan only mumbled a response before placing his hand upon his chin nervously.

"What do you desire to do with our Tristan's amulet?" Gawain asked impatiently, crossing his arms.

Lourdes closed her eyes, breathing in as she explained slowly, "I need to retrieve it and bring it back to my lands. It is the only way that atrocities of unspeakable nature will be prevented."

"Who _are_ you?"

Surprising even the knights at his sudden outburst, all turned to Tristan, who slowly rose from his seat, eyes inflamed. At his aggressive show of emotion, Lourdes even paced a few steps back. Why didn't she even _think_ of the possibility that these knights would not help her? That Tristan would not simply _give_ the amulet to her and wave her farewell? Groaning inwardly at an impending setback, she responded as nonchalantly as possible, "Forgive me, good sirs, for not introducing myself. I am Lourdes Ville-Amour, daughter of Ernesto Ville-Amour."

The knights looked at her with no recognition evident in their eyes.

"I guess I am not famous here." Lourdes mumbled to herself as she cleared her throat. "Sirs, this Amulet of Lyoness will be at the centre of a dangerous battle more than 1500 years from now. I am in need of your full co-operation, for times in my lands are dire, and..."

Arthur then stood up, visibly confused, eyes furrowed, "How do you know all of this?"

Lourdes swallowed as she stated steadily, "I am from the future."

Complete and utter silence filled the room. The knights all eyed her with great bemusement, undecided whether to laugh or scream that she was completely daft. She _knew_ that this was the difficult part -- to convince the knights of her words, of the _truth_ in her statements. Not willing to back down from this, Lourdes eyed them with unflinching steadiness, her gaze never faltering after her previous statement.

"Yer messin' with us." Bors pointed an accusing finger in her direction, his lips curled into a snarl.

Lourdes shook her head profusely, hands in the air. "I _assure_ you, good knights, I am not!" Finally finding her wits, she snapped her fingers, retrieving the amulet from her pocket. Holding it out in the air in front of her, she stated in a steady voice, "If Sir Tristan does not have this _exact_ amulet, then I am telling lies."

All eyes gazed to Tristan once more. The knight remained standing, jaw tightened as he tightly grasped the ends of the table. His eyes seemed to be inflamed -- shocked, even -- at what was transpiring before him. Though, in answer to their questioning glances, Tristan replied gruffly, "I do not know what she speaks of."

Lourdes lowered her hand, mouth agape, at his expression of blatant denial of the truth. Lips curling into a snarl, she snapped, "Look, I did _not_ come all this way for you to _lie_ to me and your comrades about the existence -- and your knowledge -- of this amulet. Lives -- even history itself -- hangs in the balance if I do not retrieve this..."

Arthur let up a hand, unexpectedly bursting out into laughter. He held his stomach as he chuckled, shaking his head. "Alright, milady, no more jests!" He continued to giggle, even wiping a tear from his eye. "This has been certainly entertaining, but I fear as though my knights and I have important matters to discuss now." Turning his head to Tristan, he said to the scout with mirth lining his voice, "Seeing as though she seems to be _quite_ fond of you, Tristan, please see her out."

The other knights snickered at this, much to Lourdes' anger. As she began to protest, Tristan roughly took her arm, pulling her towards the exit. Even as she dug her heels onto the stone floor, the knight overpowered her, leading her back towards the corridor from whence she came. The knight quickly closed the door, and, with Tristan still gripping her arm tightly, the two made their way down the castle steps, walking towards the courtyard. When Tristan found that they were alone, he halted abruptly. Turning on his heel to face her, he grasped her upper arms, shaking her lightly. "This is impossible!" He hissed, giving her another good shake. "How the bloody hell do you know about my amulet?"

"I've done my research." she replied through clenched teeth as his grip tightened on her. She explained further, "My grandfather knows all there is to know about you and your family. He has told me your history, and I...I even know your fate." Tristan's dark orbs widened at this, jaw tightening. "Everything that I have said in that room was the truth. I _know_ you have the amulet with you. Why did you deny it?"

The knight roughly pushed her away, running a frustrated hand over his rugged face. "If you _truly_ know about this amulet, then you should also know that its powers -- nay, its _existence_ -- cannot be told to just anyone." He surprisingly confided in her, "I have not even told my brothers-at-arms about it."

The knight was incredibly bothered by this. Needless to say, Tristan was simultaneously confused and bewildered. A part of him wanted to doubt her, but he knew, deep down inside, that he believed her. She had held, in her hands, the _exact_ same amulet in front of them. Even if this was some form of trickery, how would she have known about an amulet that had been kept a secret within his family for generations, let alone know what it _looked_ like in order to forge a replica?

"Then you _know_ of its power." Lourdes walked to his side, attempting to meet his gaze. "_I_ know its power, for I have used it to come here."

"These occurrences are not impossible." Tristan whispered more to himself than to Lourdes. "Merlin said so."

"Then will you help me?" she inquired, hope lining her voice. "Please, sir Tristan? You cannot _fathom _the consequences if you do not."

Breathing in sharply, the knight only pointed a steady finger at her. "Meet me by the lake tomorrow when the sun rises."

At his unexpected response, Lourdes immediately nodded her head, thinking that his statement almost ensured his aid. At her response, Tristan turned on his heel once more, walking back towards the castle. The smile that appeared on her face immediately disappeared when she noted her current circumstances. Running after him, she cried out, "Wait!" As Tristan simply turned his head in her direction, she blurted out meekly, "Sir, I have no place to go." She scratched her head sheepishly, cursing to herself for not even _thinking_ about how she was to _survive_ in this place to await another full moon. "Do you know a place in this land where I can safely stay?"

Tristan paused for a moment, indecision evident in his dark orbs. He stared at her so intensely that she broke his stare, looking downward. After another few moments of silence, Tristan finally proclaimed,

"You will stay with me."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Wow, thank you ALL for your reviews and for reading! I'm so happy with the response that I'm getting for this story -- and I was only doing this as a side project! lol Well, for sure that after I'm finished "My Knight", this will be the story that I'll concentrate on. Let's hope I have enough time to work on it before school starts again! -smiles- Enjoy!

**_Raging Raven_**: Yeah, I know eh? But I mean, even _I_ would laugh at someone if they came up to me and said they were from the future! lol

**_Scouter_**: Here's another one for you! Thanks for reading and reviewing!

**_Black Knight63_**: Ah, Tristan's just to _die_ for! Oh, Lancelot. He never ceases to amuse me. But as for Arthur, I mean, it _is_ sort of weird for someone to just come up to you and be like, hey, I'm from the future, right? But yeah, I'm definitely trying to make this story as realistic as possible...well...the whole time travel thing kinda makes _that_ hard, but I mean more of the characters, their relationships and such. But here's another one for you! Enjoy!

**_st.elmo-lover_**: Yaye, I'm glad you're liking it! I try to make my stories entertaining! -smiles- But yeah, I totally plan my stories out and not just write, write, write. I want to make people happy, not confuse them! lmao But I hope you enjoy this next chapter! Thanks for reviewing!

**_Readerfreak10_**: I hope it will be interesting! Here's another chappy for you! Thanks for reviewing!

**_Jenni_**: Even _I_ am excited, and I'm writing this! lol I have sooo many things planned for this story...so let's hope I have the time to write it! But definitely, Lourdes is _not_ going to change! We'll see how the lucky girl deals with our Tristan in this next one. -winks- Enjoy!

**_Withered Lover_**: It is SO much fun to write, I'm telling you! "My Knight" is so emotional and serious, so I wanted to write something fun and a little lighter. Glad you're liking it, my lovely!

**_Saxongirl345_**: Thank you again! Yep, she looks like Lourdes from My Knight. I just love Tia Carrere! lol But here's another chapter for you! And thank you for your kind comments and for saving this story, it really means a lot to me. -hugs-

**_delusional anvil._**: Yeah man, you actually inspired me to write this time travel thing! I love working with cliche plotlines and just messing it all up, so to speak! lol I wanted to make the plot a little more realistic, rather than just people travelling through time like crazy. And I wanted a _good_ reason for her to go back in time and develop the plot from there. But thank you, and I hope you enjoy this as much as "My Knight"!

Well, Tristan wanted to keep the amulet's existence a secret, and seeing that she knew _too_ much, he would rather keep an eye on her and hear her out rather than let her roam around the realm and possibly spread knowledge about it. Plus, he's just nice. -grins impishly-

-gasp- I _love_ Spike TV! Oh, Gally must be having an awesome time! But here's another chapter for you! Enjoy this one, and the other one...and...just...all of them! lol -hugs-

T T T

**CHAPTER 4**

After Lourdes and Tristan had made their "arrangements", Tristan had led her straight to his chambers. Lourdes meekly followed, feeling hercheeks heating up as the realization of what she was actually _doing_ rang clearly in her mind. She was actually trusting this knight, this _Tristan_ of legend, enough to actually..._stay_ with him? And yet, she reminded herself, what other comforts in this foreign land were available to her?She had already witnessed that King Arthur and the rest of his knights thought that she was _completely_ out of her mind, so what would make anyone else act differently?

Standing outside of the entrance to his chamber, Lourdes felt fidgety as the knight opened the door, stalking inside. When he looked back at her expectantly, she slowly entered, eyes surveying the cool, stone room. The rays of the sun peeked in through its single window, providing light to most of the enclosed space. The room was stark, with only the bed with a chest at its foot, a small, oak table and a mahogany chair as its furnishings.Lowering her bag from her back, she held it in her hand, still taking in her surroundings. As she stood in silence, Tristan took her belongings from her, placing it atop the bed.

"I must return to the meeting." He said succinctly, walking towards the exit. "Stay here. I will return soon."

Nodding to the knight with a thankful smile, he only gave her a curt bow in reply before closing the wooden door. Lourdes slowly sat upon the bed as she mused, _Well, he's not _that_ much of a grouch as I had expected!_. Though, her bemused state was interrupted by thoughts of home, thoughts of Connor, thoughts of her grandfather. If there was only _some_ way to tell her grandfather that she was alright, that she had succeeded in finding _the_ Tristan of legend! Suddenly, she felt a pang of homesickness, even though she could not have been gone for more than a couple of hours.

Questions then began to whirl through her mind. Where was the amulet? Did he keep it with him? Though, with silence to only answer her questions, she finally began to feel the fatigue setting in. Realizing that it must have been nearly 3 a.m. back home, she sought much-needed rest, the day's events draining all of her energy. Lying down slowly on the bed as her eyelids grew heavier, she momentarily erased her mission from her mind, finally receiving solace as she drifted off into sleep.

T T T

Tristan returned a few hours later, holding a lone candle in his hand. Setting it upon his wooden table, he turned to see the maiden sleeping peacefully upon his bed. Something stirred in the knight then that he couldn't quite place, a feeling caught between curiosity, wonder and...desire. Desire? _What the bloody hell are you thinking?_, Tristan admonished himself, giving out a low grunt as he placed his belongings onto the ground beside him. His noisy shuffling had managed to elicit some stirring from the maiden.

Stalking towards the bed, he poked at her side, grumbling. Lourdes mumbled something incoherent and merely rolled away from him, shifting her head on the pillow to gain a more comfortable position. With raised eyebrows, Tristan finally gave her a forceful shove, almost sending her to the floor on the other side of the bed. With eyes wide open, Lourdes gripped the bedsheet, snapping her head up towards the bothersome intruder. She cried out groggily, "What the hell?"

Immediately snapping her mouth shut at his hard gaze, Lourdes gulped. For a moment, she had to reorient herself with her surroundings, reminding herself that, certainly, _this _ was not "Kansas" anymore, and that she was inside the chambers of the only person that had shown her a _little_ understanding in this place. Mumbling an apology towards the knight, she sat up slowly, brushing her hair back from her face.

"Here." Tristan threw a piece of bread towards her as he bit into one that he held in his other hand. Lourdes quickly caught it with both hands, looking down towards the bread, then upwards to meet Tristan's eyes. He commanded her lightly, "Eat."

Feeling and hearing her stomach growl, she nodded obediently and took small bites of the bread, crossing her legs. Lourdes eyed Tristan curiously as he walked around the room, placing his belongings to their respective spots. Then, much to her embarrassment -- as quite evident in her expression -- he undressed in front of her, swiftly taking off his tunic. Lourdes immediately swallowed her food -- almost choking upon it -- as she beheld the knights' form. Her eyes traced what he revealed: the toned, tight and muscular body that she had seen through his dark tunic. His aura screamed of utter strength, masculinity and ruggedness. Blushing profusely, she sat with mouth slightly agape as Tristan continued about his room, searching for another tunic, walking about with only his breeches on. When he felt her eyes on him, Tristan twisted his head towards her, eyebrow laconically raising as he snapped, "Do you mind?"

Gasping at his impolite remark for her, rightly, impolite behaviour, she instantly closed her agape mouth, turning her eyes away from him and his form. She moved to face the other side of the bed, looking out of the window. Feeling uncomfortable with the silence that loomed amongst them, Lourdes began amicably, "I know that your mother had given you the amulet. She must have told you about the power that it possess, right?"

"Do not speak about my mother."

Stung by his callous tone, Lourdes frowned, twisting her head away from the knight once more. She felt as though he had just slapped her in the face, with no remorse, no regret lining his voice. Though, understanding prevailed over anger, and remembering what she had read about his past, _she_ felt stupid for actually bringing up the subject of his mother.

She distinctly remembered this part of his history, for it made her heart ache with sorrow. When Tristan was only seven, his mother horribly perished in an accidental fire that also claimed the lives of a few servants. Having gone out with his father for an evening ride, Tristan had returned to only see his burning castle, hearing the painful cries of those that were trapped within -- including his mother's. The young boy felt so helpless, even _guilty_, that he could not save his mother. Lourdes believed that this was the root of his current harsh and seemingly heartless demeanor.

Tristan sat in the wooden chair across the bed. Lourdes did not realize it, but Tristan's dark eyes bore into her being, as if trying to assess what was in front of him. She was not the enemy, no, she was not. But why did she stir such defensive feelings within him? Why did he feel so bare, so _naked_, in front of her? And yet, he could not deny that he was intrigued, annoyed and even a bit frightened, all at the same time. It seemed as though she knew so much about him and his life, especially facts that his fellow knights did not know, and that her brown eyes saw right through him. This made the knight uneasy, and he shifted on his seat uncomfortably, finally tearing his eyes away from her.

"Thank you for the food."

Lourdes' voice shattered the silence between them, eyes glancing back towards the knight. When he did not respond to her -- he didn't even _look_ at her -- she gave out a sigh, standing up from the bed. "Here, you can have your bed back. I shall sleep on the ground."

"No." He replied tersely. Tristan's piercing eyes landed on her form slowly. As if to emphasize his point, the knight stood, taking his cloak from the back of the chair and laying it down on the floor. Following his cloak, he lied down on the highly uncomfortable stone ground, resting his head upon his arms. Lourdes just sat on the bed, mouth slightly agape, as she stared at the knight's back. Seeing as though he had no intention of moving from his position and would not be dissuaded by her protests, she lied back down, hesitatingly.

When she least expected it, Tristan informed her in a low tone, "I saw you coming out of the lake today."

Still staring at his back, she replied, "The lake, or any large body of water, is only part of unlocking the power of the amulet."

"I know."

Lourdes felt a lump forming in her throat, feeling parched, and as though she could not speak. Everything was as her grandfather had told her, the eerie coincidences no longer...coincidental. A wave of curiosity then coursed through her mind. Did Tristan ever use the power of the amuletWould he _ever_ use it for his own devices?

"What has happened in your...time...that you must brave this peril?" Twisting his head to finally face her, he questioned her with genuine curiosity lining his voice. "And why you?"

"One of my grandfather's former friends, Cyriac, knows about the power of the amulet and is bent on acquiring and using it for his own evil purposes. He wants its power for himself. If he gets his hands on your amulet, Tristan, he will change the course of history -- we fear, for the worse. The course of time, the course of history itself, should not be readily disturbed." Lourdes breathed out, using her elbows to prop herself up. "My grandfather and I took a risk with my coming here, though we only desire to change the course of history so that Cyriac, in my time of 2006, would not have the amulet in his possession."

Tristan gave her a nod of understanding.

"Aside from my grandfather and Cyriac, I am the only one who knows about the power of this amulet in my time." She felt for it gingerly within her pocket as she continued lightly, "My grandfather is not fit for such an arduous journey, and we desired to keep the power of the amulet as a secret -- as your family had for decades."

Tristan did not respond to her. Instead, he stood, and began to search deep within his chest at the foot of the bed. Lourdes merely eyed him curiously in silence. When he finally stood upright once more, she gave out a little gasp as she saw what he held out in his hand.

The Amulet of Lyoness.

Sitting down at the foot of the bed, Tristan held the precious amulet in the palm of his hand, examining it closely, "I have hidden this amulet for many years." He explained to her, eyes still tracing the delicate markings on the amulet, "I did not even want to wear it, in fear that even my brothers-in-arms would question it and its significance."

Though Lourdes nodded in wholehearted understanding, and even sympathy, for the quiet knight, her fingers itched to snatch the amulet from Tristan's fingers. In her mind, she thought of proceeding to run out of the castle, both amulets at hand, and swiftly return home. Though, only one thing was her drawback -- she had to wait for a night of a full moon in order to do this, and this certainly made things more difficult for her. Also making her heart constrict even more was the fact that Tristan had quietly stated,

"I cannot give this to you. It is too valuable to me."

Lourdes was rendered speechless by this. She was almost _certain_ that he was going to help her, that he understood her dire circumstances! Feeling the rage build inside of her, she lunged forward in desperation, attempting to snatch the amulet away from the knight's grasp. Though, predicting her reaction, the knight immediately stepped back from her coming attack, furrowing his brows as he stood defensively.

"Did you not hear _a word_ of what I had just said?" Lourdes cried frustratingly through clenched teeth, jumping from the bed and proceeding to lunge towards the knight once more. "In your damn hands rests the fate of this...this entire _world_! _My_ world!"

Tristan stealthily moved from side to side, expertly evading her 'attacks'. Crying out in frustration once more, she outstretched her hand towards his as she stepped forward. Though, the knight caught her wrists, and with little exerted effort, he pulled her towards him, then pinned her upon his door. Holding her wrists now, he held her hands above her head, his lips curling into a snarl as he looked down upon her. She eyed him defiantly, her jaw still clenched, trying to jolt out of his vice-like grip. Though, Tristan held her firmly, and tight-lipped, he muttered, "I did _not_ say that I was _not_ going to help you."

Furrowing her brows in confusion, Lourdes finally relaxed. As Tristan stepped back away from her, he stated firmly,

"I will go with you."

T T T

**A/N:** -gasp- Will Lourdes let Tristan go with her? What will happen next? 'Till next time! -waves-


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Thank you guys for reading and reviewing! Enjoy this next chapter!

**_Saxongirl345_**: I haven't seen Tia in Kull The Conqueror, but it sounds interesting! Does she share characteristics with Lourdes? haha But I'm glad you liked this chapter. The story's just beginning! -smiles-

**_Readerfreak10_**: haha This chapter will definitely explain more!

**_Raging Raven_**: It's so weird for Tristan to have a crush. Are his feelings real, though? Dun dun dunnn!

**_Black Knight63_**: I sure love cliffies! -smiles- But I'm glad I'm portraying Tristan well. I'm so used to writing about Lancelot and Galahad that even _I_ have to get "in character" sometimes to imagine what a gruffy, grouchy, silent scout would say and do! Oh yeah, there will be a _lot_ of sexual tension, for that is my forte! muahaha! I guess Tristan was both literally _and_ figuartively naked in front of her! (-whispers- I think he enjoyed it!) lmao Enjoy this next one!

**_HateFilled-Demon_**: Hope you find this next chapter as interesting!

**_dferveiro_**: Thank you! Here's another chapter for you!

**_delusional anvil._**: I know eh? Oh man, I would so love it if Tristan came here. That would be quite fun, I would imagine. But I'm happy it's not boring. I try my best to make the beginnings of stories as fun as possible, but still get the basics and characterizations out.

But yes, you inspired me! I don't know how long I can go with this story, since school is starting and I'll have _no_ time, but we'll see how many chapters I can type out before all that!

Geeze, who _wouldn't_ peep on Tristan? Hell, I sure would -- and take pictures, too! bwahaha And whoa, I wouldn't have self-control if I walked in on Gally, too! (MXC is the _greatest_ show _ever_! You gotta love them Japs!)

-hugs- You are too sweet! Enjoy this next one!

t t t

**CHAPTER 5**

Lourdes blinked as though she hadn't heard the knight correctly. With a quizzical expression on her face, she stuttered, "You will...what?"

"Go with you." Tristan reiterated a litle more forcefully, sitting upon the bed once more. Even _he _was surprised about his firm decision, stunned by the fact that he would actually even _think_ of doing this; to go into the future with a woman that he did not know? To actually..._use_ this amulet of his for such a purpose? He placed his clenched knuckles on his chin then, thinking himself utterly daft. But he could not simply _give_ his precious amulet away to this stranger, not when it was given to him by his mother just a few weeks before she had perished; and certainly because he had no reassurance, no proof, that this woman would use the amulet for good.

Lourdes stood in front of him, mouth still slightly agape. She was expecting only to take his amulet back -- not the knight himself! She reasoned quickly, "Sir Tristan, you _cannot_ do that. You have to understand that it will have far reaching consequences that..."

"Either I go with the amulet, or the amulet stays here with me."

His voice being filled with much conviction, Lourdes knew that in his mind, there was no room for argument. She groaned inwardly then. She knew that she had to be careful when travelling back in time, and she had prepared for it -- but she was certainly _not_ prepared to argue, or even fight, with the knight to retrieve the amulet from him. _Why is he being so stubborn?_, she squealed to herself, feeling her reservoir of patience quickly drying. As if in answer to her inward question, his voice shattered the silence,

"How will I know that you will not use this amulet for your own purposes?"

"Oh, is that it?" Lourdes crossed her arms, shaking her head slightly. "You do not trust me?"

Tristan's eyes squinted as he replied, "I trust what you say, but I do not trust what you will do with the amulet once you have it in your possession."

Lourdes outwardly groaned now, face inclining towards the stone ceiling as she ran her hands through her face exasperatedly. "_Why_ would I go through _all_ this trouble trying to find _another_ amulet when I have already have one in my possession? Do you simply _think_ that I _like_ collecting shiny things?"

Tristan was taken aback by her latter question, though, thinking of her former, he realized that her reason proved true. One amulet was enough to wreak havoc in time and to change the course of history. _Unless someone else desires the second amulet_, Tristan reasoned, eyes fixated to the ground in front of him. Then, he blocked those doubts from his head. Surprisingly, he wanted to trust this woman, to indeed help her in her peril -- in _their_ peril, as the amulet was technically his to begin with.

Lourdes heaved out a heavy sigh, knowing the doubts that were expertly hidden behind Tristan's firm countenance. She began, "Tristan, look at me." She spread her arms wide in front of her as the knight's dark orbs met her pleading eyes. "You are a scout. You should be good at detecting what is good and what is evil, what is dangerous and what is not. Think about it. If I _really_ wanted the amulet for myself, don't you think that I would've taken it by now? And if I were someone evil from the future who desired to take the amulet from you at any cost, don't you think that I would have come prepared, with weapons at hand from the future, to take it from you?" She breathed in heavily once more as she finished, "Do I _really_ look like someone who would want to ruin the course of history, to play with time?"

Her explanations ran swiftly through Tristan's mind as he tried to find fault within her reason. Though, those thoughts were momentarily set aside as he became distracted with what she had asked for him to do. Lourdes then blushed as she realized that Tristan's eyes were roaming, surveying her body, in an extremely, excruciatingly slow manner, observing her from her feet, then going upwards. She cursed inwardly, for she could not admonish the knight for doing so. She had _asked_ him, truly more literally than figuratively, to do so. As Lourdes swallowed, Tristan's eyes finally landed on her face.

"You look as though you can bear children well."

Blinking thrice at his extremely peculiar reply, Lourdes finally found her sense and doubled over, laughing hysterically. Little did she know that he was _completely _and _utterly _serious in his statement, and that _he_ was stunned at _her_ peculiar reaction to what he actually defined as a compliment. Finally regaining her composure, she sat down on the bed beside him. Tristan shifted uncomfortably, slightly uneasy about her nonchalant closeness.

As Lourdes' face now exhibited neutrality, she tilted her face in order to make eye contact with the knight. Even though he would not meet her gaze, she continued to observe him, thinking of what she had learned about his life. She felt quite morbid then, not wanting to tell the knight of what she knew about his life, his death, and what became of his family. She battled with her conscience, for as she sat in indecision, her grandfather's words run clearly in her mind: "Be careful of who you meet, what you do and where you go. Even the slightest change that you make in the past may prove devastating for the future. People may die, people may not be even born..."

"There will be a full moon in two nights." Interrupting her thoughts, Tristan suddenly informed her, finally twisting his head slightly to face her. He finished firmly, "And I _shall_ go with you."

Lourdes pursed her lips at this statement. Her mind told her that this was wrong, that she would be singlehandedly responsible for changing the course of the future -- Tristan's future. And yet, she reiterated to herself his grim fate, the betrayal that he would go through with King Marke of Cornwall, the heartbreak -- and, ultimately, death -- that he would endure and suffer for the love of Isolde.

Could she actually..._save_ him...by bringing him with her? Would he be happier in the future, find the love that he truly deserved, and live out a long, fulfilled life? For some unexplainable reason, Lourdes desired so much to help this knight, to save him from a future that she knew would only come too soon -- even when she barely knew him personally. _He must be scared shitless._, Lourdes muttered to herself, even though the knight did not show it in his countenance. _I know almost everything there is to know about his life, and he barely even knows me._ She herself couldn't even fathom how _she_ would react if someone came from the future and presented to her the same predicament! Finding herself staring into his dark orbs, she felt another blush creep upon her cheeks, for she felt as though his eyes were peering into hers, as if he was trying to read her mind.

In fact, that was precisely what Tristan was trying to do. He recognized a glimmer in the maiden's eyes, one that he could only perceive as recognition, wonder and even...sympathy? Tristan then felt a flame of annoyance ignite within him. Just_ how much_ did this maiden know about him? About his past, present...and future? Feeling even more uncomfortable at this thought, he finally stood and made his way back to his cloak on the stone floor. Without a word, he tried to find a comfortable position, grunting several times when he irritatingly found that he could not.

Sighing loudly, Lourdes made her way towards the annoyed knight, perching down beside him as she placed a hand on his arm. "Look, you don't have to do this. Don't suffer from aching muscles in the morning for a woman you barely even know." As she rested her arm on her thigh, he finally looked up to her as she stated, "There is enough room on the bed for the both of us." When he did not immediately reply, she nudged him playfully, giving him a smirk as she joked, "I promise I'll be a good girl and won't try anything."

Needless to say, Tristan didn't quite know how to respond to this. Respectable ladies _never_ lied in bed with any man except for their husbands or husbands to be. Her blatant nonchalantness with such closeness somewhat disturbed him -- in more than one way. He furrowed his brows, thinking to himself if it was so different during her time.

When her offer still lingered in the air for a few moments, she admitted lightly, "Look, my guilt won't let me sleep if I let you do this." She stood, continuing in a stern manner while pointing behind her. "So I suggest that you save _both_ of us the trouble and get on that bed this instant!"

Finally having enough of her incessant poking, Tristan pushed himself up from the floor with a grunt, ensuing to lie upon his bed. His eyes continued to watch Lourdes as a smug smile appeared on her face. After a few moments of wallowing in her victory, Lourdes walked to the other side of the bed, slowly lying down beside him, with no discomfort or uneasiness evident in her body language. Though there was at least two feet of space in between them, Tristan _still_ felt uncomfortable. Discomfort, plus another inscrutable feeling coursing through his being, made him simultaneously regret and wonder at his decision.

Lourdes turned her head slightly to him, smiling as she whispered, "Good night."

After a moment of hesitation, the scout met her twinkling eyes and replied, "Good night."

t t t

"Where is Tristan?"

"I do not know. I have not seen him in two days."

Gawain and Bors sat languidly on the lush, rolling fields, watching Galahad and Lancelot sparring in the distance. They had indeed missed the scout for almost three days, now feeling a bit uneasy and, rightly, worried about his sudden disappearance. It was true that Tristan enjoyed riding alone for many hours, even for the entire day, but he had never been gone for no longer than an entire day and night without informing this comrades about his future whereabouts.

Though, little did they know that one of their comrades had an idea about the reason for Tristan's sudden disappearance.

"Galahad, you seem to be quite off today." Lancelot remarked with a smug smile, swiftly evading the younger knight's oncoming attacks. "The woman yesternight did not satisfy you?"

Galahad's face contorted with annoyance at the knight's smirk. "Yesternight? I did not lie with..." Trailing off abruptly as he realized Lancelot's 'trickery', a snarl pulled upon his thin lips as Lancelot boomed with laughter, doubling over. With a hard swing of retribution, Galahad whacked Lancelot on the arm with the wooden sword, successfully halting his laughter and making him jolt out in simultaneous surprise and pain. "Sod off, you bloody ass!"

"Look, I have made _many_ offers to teach you the ways of wooing a woman." Lancelot continued mirthfully, even through gritted teeth and even though his arm stung. "In fact, if we ever meet with that exotic woman that we met a few days earlier, I am quite confident that with _my_ skill instilled in your being, you would be able to woo her with no problem at all!"

The mention of the 'exotic woman' encouraged a flash of memory into Galahad's mind...

**_Flashback - Two nights earlier_**

_Tonight was finally the night._

_Waiting for the cover of darkness to make their move, Lourdes and Tristan gathered the little provisions that they would need for the journey. Lourdes could not erase the pang of worry for carrying out the decision to bring along the knight; and Tristan himself could not erase the same emotion, coupled with doubt, apprehension and even fear. _

_Scurrying stealthily throughout the castle, Lourdes tried as best as she could to keep up and mimic the knight, his eyes always alert as to what was happening around them. Her heavy, ungraceful footsteps made the knight wince, but he ultimately said nothing as they moved underneath the shadows towards the entrance of the curtain wall. As they reached it, though, Tristan abruptly stopped, covering Lourdes' mouth as he pinned her to the wall. Through the dim moonlight, Lourdes could see Tristan's silhouette as he placed a single finger upon his lips. As she nodded quietly in understanding, the two waited, bodies stiff and tense, as they heard heavy footsteps approaching, followed by jovial speech._

_"Oh, you know Bors. He's probably piss drunk at the tavern by now, annoying Dagonet, Gawain and the rest of the tavern-goers with his illustrious stories of his 'exploits'."_

_"I have not seen Tristan and Galahad at all today. I wonder where they have gone?"_

_"Tristan's probably riding, as usual. Galahad, that little rapscallion, is probably asleep, all fatigued from our daily sparring contests. He's probably dead tired of losing to me daily!"_

_As Lancelot and Arthur shared a laugh, Lourdes and Tristan became even more tense as their footsteps came closer, as they were entering the courtyard through the entrance of the curtain wall. Moving even more into the cover of darkness, Tristan had to press himself even closer to Lourdes, making her gasp lightly as her body was now pressed upon the curtain wall, the lengths of their bodies touching. Tristan looked down at her then, his face merely inches away from hers. As he felt the fervent heat of her cheeks, he inwardly cursed himself for causing even more discomfort between them, moving back as far as he could._

_When they saw that Arthur and Lancelot had walked into the castle, they instantly dashed for the lake, running as fast as their feet could carry them. With heavy breaths, they raced through the rolling fields, looking back periodically to see if anyone had spotted them. When they finally reached the edge of the lake, they simultaneously looked upwards, seeing the full moon shining brightly in the velvet sky. As they began to wade in the water, though, they heard a throat being cleared behind them._

_Snapping their heads up at the sound, they spotted Galahad a few metres away from them. Holding the reigns of his horse, he raised an eyebrow as he crossed his arms. "Going for a late night swim?"_

_Lourdes and Tristan both cursed inwardly at this. Though, Tristan twisted his head back towards the young knight and snapped. "Yes. Now go away."_

_With wide eyes, Galahad cleared his throat, running his fingers through his hair sheepishly. "Oh, well...have fun?"_

_"We will." Lourdes replied curtly as she waded more into the water. As Tristan followed her slowly, almost hesitatingly, Galahad mounted his horse, petting it lightly as he began to trot back towards the castle._

_Lourdes now held the amulet in her hands. Tristan retrieved his from his breech pocket, holding it in the same manner as she. Lourdes locked eyes with him. Then, closing her eyes slowly, she began:_

_Oh beautiful and powerful lady,_

_Upon this vast lake I call out to thee,_

_Lend us your magic and give us your strength,_

_So that we may course through time in its length._

_Tristan began to feel the water around him bubbling. Swallowing in fear, his intense eyes landed on Lourdes', who eyed him with concern. Moving closer to him, she said in comfort, "Hold me."_

_As Tristan did this in acquiesce, a surge of light appeared from the sky, bolting down above them, then spreading throughout the lake. Tristan held Lourdes closer at this while he shut his eyes, and she wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest, closing her own._

_"Whoa, boy." Galahad softly called out to his steed, who neighed nervously on his hind legs. As the flash of light passed through them, Galahad's horse kicked harder, and he was roughly thrown from its back, landing with a loud thud on the ground. Groaning, he used his arms to push himself up, wincing at the pain as he looked around him. When his eyes surveyed the lake, he blinked a few times in incredulity._

_Tristan and the woman were gone._

_**End Flashback**_

t t t

**A/N:** Next chapter will be _quite_ interesting, I assure you that! -wink-


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Thanks for reading and reviewing, everyone! Sorry for the slow updates. Hope you all enjoy this next chapter, because it is definitely one of my favourites!

**_Raging Raven_**: And Tristan being in 2006...begins right NOW! haha Hope you enjoy this one!

**_Readerfreak10_**: Oh yeah, VERY awkward. Hope you find this next chapter just as cool!

**_Jenni_**: haha I know! He's such a cutie, hmm? A coldblooded killer, but just oh-so-funny! He doesn't even try, and he's serious all of the time, so that makes him _even_ funnier! Let's see if you like this next chapter! I was giggling when I was writing it. -smiles- But oh yeah, I agree that Lourdes is definitely lucky! Don't we all wish we were in her position?

**_Saxongirl345_**: Here you go! Enjoy!

**_Priestess of the Myrmidon_**: Yaye! Glad you like it. I didn't know it was against rules to post review replies in a chapter! I thought it was just not allowed to place Author's Notes as a chapter? Anyway...let's just hope this story doesn't get taken down! Enjoy this next one!

**_Black Knight63_**: Oh yeah, Tristan in 2006? It's SMOKIN' HOT! Glad you enjoyed the last chapter! I hope this chapter gives you even _more_ laughts! But thank you for your kind words. You have no idea how much they mean to me! But I agree with you...nothing beats the real Tristan! -wink-

t t t

**CHAPTER 6**

"Now I'm getting worried."

Gawain's comment caught the attention of all the knights as they all sat together around the Round Table, waiting for Arthur to arrive. Their gazes all turned to the empty seat where Tristan usually sat, wondering where the scout had disappeared to. It had been four days since Tristan had mysteriously vanished, seemingly without a trace. The knights have received no word about his whereabouts, and nobody in the surrounding village seem to have seen him recently. So, this definitely sparked much wonder and worry amongst them.

After a few moments, the doors to the room were pushed open, revealing a worried Arthur. He took a seat amongst his comrades, his emerald eyes glancing at each of them. "Still no word of him."

They released the breaths that they were holding, the last smidgen of hope that Arthur would have found new information about Tristan's whereabouts dissipating. As the knights began to speak in low murmurs, Galahad shifted uncomfortably in his seat, a realization hitting him. He remembered that when he and his comrades were speaking of when they had last seen Tristan, it was _he_ who had seen Tristan last, the night that he saw Tristan with...

"Oh no." Galahad breathed out with furrowed brows and squinted eyes. He suddenly stood as he proclaimed hoarsely, "That is impossible."

The knight's curious eyes landed on Galahad, whose face had now utterly blanched. The knight gulped, his wide eyes darting in an alarming manner around his comrades.

"What is it, Galahad?" Lancelot called out, concerned, eyebrows furrowing at the young knight's almost aghast expression.

Galahad snapped his head up at the sound of Lancelot's voice, stuttering weakly, "I saw...I saw Tristan about four nights ago. He was wading in the lake with that exotic woman that had come that afternoon, that spoke of those...ridiculous things. The strangest thing occurred then." He paused, all eyes now transfixed on him, as he caught his breath. "A strong flash of strange light passed through me and my steed, and it knocked me off of the saddle. When I looked to where Tristan and the woman had been, they had mysteriously vanished. At first, I thought nothing of it, that they were just submerged beneath the water. But the light..."

Bors suddenly stood, fist hitting the table forcefully as he concluded angrily, "The lady 'as kidnapped 'im!"

"Bors, a woman like her?" Lancelot shook his head at the portly knight's reasonings, fingers resting upon his lips thoughtfully as he recounted their meeting with her -- and, he smirked inwardly, her peculiar, though rather _pleasing_, state of dress. "She seemed as gentle as a flower who he could overpower with little exerted effort. He must have gone with her upon his own will."

"Maybe she lured him to where her accomplices were hiding?" Dagonet reasoned, his muscular arms flexing as he crossed them sternly. "They could have easily hidden until the cover of darkness within the surrounding woods."

Gawain shook his head at this as well, reasoning, "But _why_ would Tristan do such a thing? Out of all of us, he is the most cautious, especially with strangers. And he can smell predators a hundred yards away." He paused, scratching his mane lightly, "If he had indeed gone with her, he must have at least had _some_ trust in her. And we all know that Tristan barely trusts anyone aside from us."

Arthur placed his fingers upon his temples as he listened to all of the knights' reasonings. Truly, it had confused him even more, because even _he_ could not comprehend why Tristan would leave with the woman -- if he _did_ in the first place -- and why he would not tell them of his whereabouts. Finally glancing upwards as the knights sat in a moment of silence, he questioned, "Galahad, you speak of this...light. Where did it come from?"

"I am not quite sure," the young knight tried to think back, pursing his lips, "but I believe that it had come from the lake."

"This is gettin' too strange for meh." Bors waved his arms in the air in frustration as he snorted. "First, Tristan suddenly disappears without a word. Then, Galahad here is seeing strange light coming from a lake! Light cannot come from a lake..." He paused, eyebrow raised as he surveyed his comrades. He scratched his head, "...can it?"

At this, Arthur held up his hand to claim the attention of the others. He then stood, face firm, jaw clenched. "We search for him." Arthur proclaimed, surveying all of his knights in turn. "I do not like the looks of this."

t t t

Lourdes and Tristan simultaneously opened their eyes. Blinking repeatedly, they found themselves in neck-deep water under the moonlight. Releasing one another, they kicked their feet and circled their arms in order to keep afloat, then, began to swim towards the shore. Lourdes grasped her nearby bag, and with much effort, swam alongside Tristan, the two finally making it towards the edge of the lake after a few moments. As Lourdes reached out for Tristan's outstretched hand, he pulled her up atop of boulders, where, in order to catch their breaths, the two simultaneously collapsed.

Breathing heavily, the two observed their surroundings. For Tristan, this was not Camelot indeed! Much to his surprise -- and even fear -- he looked upon the professionally cut grass, the park benches, and several cars passing by in the distance. He was rendered speechless, for this place was unlike anything that he had ever seen. Lourdes, though, breathed in a sigh of relief, immediately recognizing Lincoln Park and the lake. She fell back onto the boulders, arms outstretched widely, breathless. She mused to herself lightly, "Lourdes, you're a fucking hero!"

Tristan only eyed her with puzzlement as she began to cry gleefully, even rolling around slightly on the much uncomfortable and uneven ground. She didn't care! She actually _did_ it! She had succeeded in bringing the amulet back -- albeit with a grown knight with it -- but she had succeeded in bringing the amulet back!

"In your face!" she cried out to nobody in particular, slightly alarming Tristan. She held her arms upwards high above her head with her fists clenched in victory. "Whoo!"

Then, sitting up, Lourdes began to ring out her clothes, happily humming to herself. Tristan, on the other hand, shakily stood up, still stunned by his surroundings and her rather peculiar reaction. As he wondered what exactly was in his face, a part of him was still in disbelief -- and yet, he had experienced the power of the amulet himself, for he was seeing it now with his own eyes. He could not deny its power now.

"Look," Lourdes called out lightly, gaining his attention, "we better get out of here before someone finds us."

"Where are we go to?" Tristan inquired with furrowed brows, stepping to her side. "I see no horses around."

Giving Tristan a smug smirk, she replied with, "In 2006, dear Tristan, we have _better_ things than horses."

Furrowing his eyes in confusion, Tristan could only follow Lourdes as she jogged to the side of the street. Looking on both sides, she beamed as she spotted a taxi coming towards them. Tristan shielded his eyes with his hands as its headlights blinded him. Squinting, he eyed the vehicle in wonder as it stopped in front of them. Tristan was even _more_ stunned when Lourdes opened a door of the vehicle, then jumped inside. When she beckoned for him to follow her, he gingerly stepped inside, alertly looking at his surroundings. When the taxi began to move, he clutched onto the leather seat tightly, eyes widening as he looked at Lourdes for support. She only gave him a reassuring smile, leaning over to place his seatbelt on.

"Where to, miss?" The cab driver called out, eyeing her politely from the rearview mirror. When his gaze landed on Tristan, though, it immediately expressed puzzlement.

"7 Greenleaf Crescent." She replied, experiencing a bit of deja-vu. Then, recognizing the odd expression from the driver as he repeatedly looked at Tristan, she responded with, "He just came back from a costume party."

As the driver nodded in acceptance of this, Tristan eyed her with a quizzical expression. Lourdes could tell that he was still tense, breathing sharply as he tried to examine the insides of the taxi. Leaning over to his ear, she whispered, "Just think of it as a fancy wagon with no horses."

Tristan nodded unsurely, as he still could not comprehend how this -- wagon -- was moving without any horses to pull on it! His incredulous expression only increased a few minutes later when his eyes landed upon Lourdes' towering condominium. Peering outside of the window in disbelief, he stretched his neck upwards as he wondered at the sheer height. Finding his mouth agape as he and Lourdes exited the taxi, he stuttered, "W-what is that?"

"A con-do-mi-ni-um." she said slowly, smiling. "I live right there."

Tristan followed Lourdes' outstretched finger to almost the very top of the condominium, finding that his mouth was agape once again. "H-how do you get there?"

"By an elevator."

"Ele..vator?"

In only a few moments, Tristan found out _exactly_ what that was. As Lourdes pressed the circular buttons on the side panel, Tristan watched with wide eyes as metal doors in front of him automatically closed, seeing no men move it. He cursed out loud at this, making Lourdes bite her lower lip to keep from laughing. He stood with a steady stance, holding the wall beside him, as the elevator began to move.

As he fidgeted lightly, Lourdes placed a hand on his in comfort. "Don't be scared. I know it feels strange at first." Her concerned expression then turned into mirth as she beamed. "But really, this thing is a _lifesaver, _you don't understand! I don't know how I'd live if I'd have to go up and down 100 flights of stairs daily, as much as I like to keep fit!"

Tristan didn't respond. His eyes, though, fell to where she had gripped his hand -- and where it still lingered. _This woman _definitely_ has a nonchalant demeanor about contact with men_, Tristan mused inwardly, eyes finally connecting with hers.

As Lourdes realized what she was still doing, she pried her hand away from his, nervously clearing her throat. Tristan remained quiet. As the elevator bell rang, she exited right when the metal doors opened, feeling rather -- strange -- at the moment. Walking straight to the door of her condominium, she began, "Look, for a few days, you will be exposed to a lot of things that will be strange to you. Just be careful of everything that you do, because you never know when..."

Lourdes' voice trailed off when she realized that Tristan was not behind her. Slightly panicking, she ran back towards the elevators, pressing the downward button of the elevator panel. When the metal doors opened, it revealed an angry Tristan, his lips curled into a snarl. When his eyes landed on Lourdes, it slowly dissipated, though he promptly yelled,

"This bloody thing _trapped_ me in here!"

Lourdes just couldn't take it anymore. Bursting out into laughter, she quickly pulled Tristan out of the elevator before the doors would close upon him once more. Placing a hand on her mouth, she tried to stifle her uncontrollable giggles, body shaking as she walked towards her home. Tristan only stared at her back angrily, finding her quite rude for _laughing_ at him and his previous peril.

As Lourdes opened her door and walked inside, Tristan's breath was caught once more as he followed her. It was not as large nor as elegantly decorated at Arthur's castle, but the strange..._things_...that he saw inside kept him in awe. The furnishings did not seem to be made of stone, but of wood and some other materials that he could not recognize. The walls were white and were adorned with pictures and many other strange things that he had never seen before. As he gingerly picked up an object in his hands, Lourdes claimed his attention once more.

"You must be as famished as I am." She stated, placing her still wet bag onto the ground beside her couch. "Just sit here. I'll get us some new clothes and some food, alright?"

Tristan could only nod once in acquiesce as Lourdes disappeared into another room. Walking to where she had pointed to, he sat on her black leather couch, eyes still alert and surveying his surroundings. He concluded that she had a nice home, that it was much more comfortable than the thatched, straw, wooden, and even stone houses that many of the villagers in Arthur's realm lived in. As he sat on the couch, he accidentally sat on the television remote control, promptly turning it on. In alarm, Tristan stood, seeing an angry monster running up towards the television screen. Automatically, he unsheathed his sword, stepping over her coffee table. With a cry, he slashed at the television, causing much racket within the tiny space.

"What the hell?" Lourdes' faint voice came from her bedroom. With rushed footsteps, she made her way back towards the living room.

What she saw made her jaw drop immediately.

Throwing the clothes that were in her hands onto the ground, she rushed towards Tristan's side, gingerly pulling at the back of his tunic. "Jesus Christ, Tristan!" She continuously pulled at him, seeing some of the mangled mess that was her television from the corner of her eye. She screamed, "Stop!"

Breathing heavily, Tristan finally halted his assault, stepping back a few paces as he lowered his sword beside him. Lourdes whimpered, scurrying to the side of the television. Bending down to examine it, she seethed with anger.

Her poor 52-inch, wide-screen, flat-panel Sony television, worth almost £2000 -- _without_ the tax -- was rightly slashed into several pieces in front of her.

With shaking fists, she stood up straight once more. In her barrage of admonishment, she repeatedly slapped Tristan's arm, squealing with anger. "I _just_ bought that! With my _own_ damn money, no less!" She pointed a mean finger at his nose. "Do you _know_ how long it takes to make £2000?"

"Pounds?"

"Goddammit!" Lourdes cried out in frustration, arms flailing wildly in the air. "This is going to drive me fucking crazy!"

Slightly stunned by her rather unladylike reaction, Tristan thought it proper to explain. He began in a low tone, inclining his chin, "Milady, there was a beast heading straight for me. I needed to defend myself."

Lourdes didn't heed his explanation and pointed a steady finger towards the couch. "_Sit_ there and do _not_ touch anything." As Lourdes stalked back towards her room, she turned on her heel and added, "Actually, just _don't_ move."

With furrowed brows, Tristan did as he was told. He began to feel angered by the fact that she did not seem to believe him and was actually _angry_ at him! He was also upset at the fact that his imposing nature seemed to be lost on her and that she did not seem to fear his person at all. She had _hit_ him, numerous times, without fear of retaliation from him. Was this woman _really_ that daft?

And yet, a part of Tristan knew that he would -- and could -- never hurt her. He had no reason to, especially that now, he had seen proof that she had been telling the truth the entire time. He was, technically, _living_ the proof. His eyes lost all its anger then, his expression becoming calm once more. His cursory glance around the condominium landed on a slightly open door in the corner. He then gulped as he caught a glimpse of Lourdes' bare back as she changed her drenched clothing, then proceeding to dry her long, raven hair with a towel. Feeling both intrigued and..._embarrassed_ by this, Tristan finally tore his eyes away from her form, concentrating on the window beside him.

Momentarily forgetting her 'commands', he stood and paced towards the large, clear glass. Looking out, he saw a large body of water, sitting eerily below him under a starlit, black velvet sky. In the distance, he saw even more "condominiums", strangely lit with many tiny lights. As he continued to gaze out silently at the serene scene, he heard light footsteps coming to his side.

"I thought I told you not to move." Lourdes teased softly with a smile. As he turned towards her, she handed him a slice of pizza, saying meekly, "Sorry, this was all I had."

Tristan slowly took the pizza from her outstretched hand, brushing his fingers upon hers in the process. "Thank you, milady."

"You're welcome." Lourdes could barely smile as she felt Tristan's touch ignite something within her. Her heart had skipped a beat when they touched once more, his callused hands brushing upon her own delicate ones. Then, the low tone of his voice when he had thanked her kindly had caused a shiver to run down her spine. All the anger that she had felt just a few moments ago was completely erased, only to be replaced by...what was it? Tenderness?

Breathing out shakily, Lourdes turned on her heel, heading towards her room to retrieve Tristan's clothing. Though, she did not get far, for Tristan had snatched her wrist with lightning speed and had pulled her towards him. With a gasp, Lourdes swirled around, instantly facing the knight once more. He looked down at her with an inscrutable expression, his dark eyes slightly glazed over.

"I am sorry." He said almost tenderly, his brown orbs searching her face. "I did not mean to upset you."

"Oh..." Lourdes could feel her cheeks flushing once more as she looked upon him. "It's...it's alright. It's just a television anyway." When Tristan did not break his gaze on her, Lourdes choked out, "Look, I know it will be hard for you to adjust to all of...this. It is a lot to take in, and I can understand that. But just know that I am here to help you, and I always will, even if I become upset, angry or frustrated." She gave out a light laugh. "I _assure_ you that you're not going to like me all the time, so, I can also understand it if you become upset with me in any way."

"I do not think that I can be highly upset with you." Tristan actually admitted, releasing his grip from her wrist, though keeping their closeness. "Not after you have courageously risked your life in order to save the world from such evil and have also helped me come here."

"Don't make me out to be a superhero now." Lourdes smirked at him, punching him playfully on the arm. She admitted, "And you're not so bad yourself, scout, for taking me in when I had nowhere to go."

Tristan remained silent, his orbs only memorizing the curves of her face. Lourdes couldn't keep his stare any longer and brought her eyes down to her hands, slightly tilting her head away from him. Tristan took a step forward and, as he gingerly raised his hand, he tenderly traced the side of her face with the back of his fingers. His fingers then curled itself into her hair, brushing through the tendrils almost...lovingly. Lourdes gulped at this, frozen at his sudden show of affection. When she felt as though his touch was no longer innocent, she pulled away, trying her best to gather her wits about her. _Connor would kill me!_, she squealed to herself, taking another step back from him.

As Tristan only looked at her curiously, she cleared her throat. "I think we better get some sleep." Pointing towards her bedroom, she informed him. "There are some clothes on the bed in there that will fit you. You can sleep in there, and I'll be here, on the couch, if you need anything." As Tristan nodded to her in response, she finished steadily, "I will call my grandfather in the morning. Then, we will figure out what we have to do with the amulet."

t t t

**A/N:** What'd you guys think? -wink-


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Yaye, an update! I'm getting busier by the day, but I'll definitely do my best to keep working on this story! Thanks for reading and reviewing. Enjoy!

**_Black Knight 63_**: Oh man, I was laughing while writing that scene! I'm having so much fun with having Tristan in our time. I'm still brainstorming some more quirky ideas! And ohhh yeah for sexual tension! There's more of _that_, I assure you! Glad you liked that chapter. Hope you enjoy this one!

**_Readerfreak10_**: It's going to get even _more_ awkard, I believe!

**_Dunamess_**: Thank you! Hope you like this next chapter. too!

**_Withered Lover_**: And I haven't had a lot of time to write this, too! So I'm even surprised that I updated this story! haha I'm happy to hear that you finally had the chance to read the stories and that you liked the last chappie! -hugs- Enjoy this next one!

**_Priestess of the Myrmidon_**: Yeppers, Connor's her boyfriend! And yeah, I opted for the TV, because hell, if my computer was smashed by a knight with a sword, I'd be _pretty_ upset! And Bors! -hugs Bors- Isn't he just sooo loveable! I wish I knew him in real life! He'd bring me many smiles daily. But yaye! Glad you're liking it. Cross your fingers that I have time to work on it, though! Enjoy this next one!

**_Raging Raven_**: Oh, hell yeah! What I'd give to see _that_ in real life!

**_Priscilla2_**: Thank you, my lovely! Here's the next chapter!

**_Scouter_**: Hoo-hah! An update for you! -wink-

**_Jade Opal_**: Why, thank you! -smiles- Enjoy this next one!

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**CHAPTER 7**

"To what do I owe this fine visit of King Arthur and his knights?" Merlin, the leader of the Woads, greeted amiably with a smile, stepping back a few paces in order to usher the Sarmatian knights into his home. With each giving him a bow in greeting upon their entrance, they proceeded to take their respective seats upon a cluster of chairs around a large, wooden table. With a cursory glance around the space to familiarize themselves with their surroundings, the knights concluded that the old Woad lived quite comfortably, for his stone home was decorated with shelves of books, scattered tables and chairs, and even a small firepit at the centre with a large, black cauldron atop it. Truly, it was not as majestic nor as spacious as Arthur's castle, but the Woad seemed to have established himself quite well as one of the leading apothecaries and, some say, practitioner of the black arts in Camelot.

"We are in desperate need of your aid, Merlin." Arthur stated steadily, leaning his hands upon the table as he gazed patiently at the old Woad. With a prompt motion of his head towards his knights around him, he said, "As you can see, sir, Tristan is not with us."

"Is he ill?" Inquired the Woad worriedly with furrowed brows, pacing around the cramped space as he awaited a subsequent answer from the knights. "Do you know what ails him?"

"Not ill." Galahad responded curtly with an agitated shake of his head. "Missing."

"He has been for a few days now." Added Gawain with a defeated sigh, clutching his hands worriedly in front of him as he recalled uncomfortably, "We have searched high and low for him, all over Camelot, its outskirts, and many towns in Sarmatia. And yet, still no sign of him. Furthermore, nobody seems to know where he has gone."

At his statements, Merlin pursed his lips into a thin line as he continued to pace quiveringly through the assembly with his walking stick. He commented, "This is highly peculiar for the knight, is it not?" With brisk, acceding nods from his audience, the Woad sighed. "Shall I organize a search party amongst the Woads, then? There are a few who have gone to hunt just a few moments ago, but I am able to send more to gather them and amass a party by the afternoon."

"Merlin," Lancelot began demurely, pacing meekly to his side, "we thought that you could help us in...another way." Merlin's curious expression prompted Lancelot to continue, "You are familiar with strange occurrences in this world, with "dark magic", as some would say. Would you happen to know anything about the Amulet of Lyoness?"

With widened eyes, Merlin plopped down upon the seat beside Arthur, his face a mixture of incredulity and fear. Turning, almost in panic, to the king, he hissed in a low tone, "How do you know of the Amulet?"

"Ye see," Bors began to explain lightly while motioning his hands in a circular fashion, "this lil' lady came to us almost a week ago, blabbin' 'bout this amulet and how Tristan had it an' all. Then, she was sayin' how she needed to bring it back to her lands to stop some...war or...somethin' or other." Bors then took a pause, recollecting his thoughts and emotions as he wagged a chunky finger at the Woad. "Get this, Merlin: she said she was from the _future_!"

"I cannot deny that I detected sincerity in her words. She seemed to be telling the truth." Dagonet commented thoughtfully, remembering how he had felt so unnerved by his instant belief in her words. "She even brought forth the amulet, exhibiting it to us as evidence of her words."

"Impossible." Merlin breathed out incredulously, sitting back upon his chair for physical support. Blinking away his heightened incredulity, he keenly observed the knights before him, who all waited with patience for his ensuing speech. "This woman shared with you the history of the amulet?"

"Yes." replied Arthur curtly with a nod of his head. "That it was passed down from generation to generation from Tristan's family and that it holds unspeakable power that is desired by evil men 1500 years from now."

"Who else knows about this?" Merlin inquired, almost in alarm as he stood, eyes darting amongst them in a paranoid-like manner.

Galahad replied reassuringly, "Just us."

"Good." Without warning, Merlin slammed the door to his home closed, then hastily sifted through his shelves of manuscripts and scrolls. Mumbling incoherent musings to himself, all of the knights eyed the Woad with curiosity, in wonder as to what in the devil's name he was doing. With a sudden snap of his frail fingers, Merlin retrieved a single, crumpled page of a manuscript, placing it upon the middle of the table in triumph. "Tell me, knights," he began interrogatively as he looked at each of them alternately, "does this illustration mean anything to you?"

"That is it!" exclaimed Lancelot in slight bewilderment as he eyed the illustration even more closely. "That is the amulet that the maiden had shown us!"

"If that is so, then suspend all that you believe for a moment." Merlin heaved out a sigh, nodding his head as he continued cautiously, "Knights, what she had told you is highly possible, then. This amulet holds the power to course through time, and, I do not doubt that it is possible that someone from posterity could have recovered it and used its power."

"So she _wasn't_ messin' with us." Bors commented to himself in a low tone, wincing as he did so.

"And Tristan was in possession of this amulet all along?" Galahad furrowed his brows confusedly, eyes connecting with Merlin's orbs, then his comrades. "Think you he has used it before?"

"That, young knight, I doubt." Merlin gave him a shake of his head. "I know of the caution that his family had taken and continues to take with the amulet. As expected of those that belong to his bloodline, Tristan would have protected the family heirloom with his life and would have vowed never to use it."

"Until now?" piped up Gawain morbidly, eyes shifting throughout the room. Instantly, a barrage of possibilities were then offered by the knights:

"He must've followed her somehow."

"She might have tricked him into doing so."

"Or have taken him by force?"

"Do you really think that he has gone to the future with her?"

"I'm confused. Stop confusing meh!"

As the knights continued to discuss the many possibilities and reasonings for Tristan's mysterious disappearance, Arthur placed his fingers upon his temples, finding it quite difficult to even _fathom_ that they were speaking of _time travel_ -- and that one of his knights may actually be involved! Twisting his head apprehensively in the Woad's direction, Arthur queried steadfastly, "Merlin, is there any way that you can aid us in this, I fear, new peril?"

"I believe so." Merlin replied quietly with a simple tilt of his head. "If it is truly the Amulet of Lyoness that the maiden possesses, and, if Tristan has indeed gone with her," he then stood, gaining all of their attention, "Then, good knights, I present to you an unthinkable, and frankly, unbelievable course of action." All of their gazes were transfixed upon the old Woad as he proclaimed:

"You follow Tristan into the future."

t t t

Tristan opened his dark orbs alertly as he keenly detected the sound of shuffling in the room. It took a moment for the knight to register where he was, to orient himself with the still strange surroundings. Seeing a flash of long, black hair, the scout blinked repeatedly, recognizing Lourdes' form a few paces from his. He took a few, and, quite pleasing, moments to observe her. Truly, it was difficult to miss the fighting spirit, the borderline haughtiness and headstrong conviction that emanated from this exotic woman. His orbs were then drawn to the striking features of her countenance, and, much to his satisfaction, the curves of her body. He felt almost _mesmerized_ then, feeling as though his senses had gone awry, that his instincts have failed him. Why did he feel so _secure_ in her presence, when, in truth, he barely knew her or her true intentions?

After a few moments of his mindless musing, Tristan heard strange, high-pitched noises, followed by the incessant tapping of Lourdes' fingernails on an oak dresser. Shifting his head slightly to the side to continue his undetected surveillance, he saw her sitting on the ledge of her windowsill, peering out mindlessly at the beach as she held a bizarre, rectangular device beside her ear. Furrowing his brows at this peculiarity, Tristan remained quiet and only continued to observe her.

Lourdes had to wait several rings until her grandfather finally picked up on the other line. "Hello?" Arturo answered groggily, most likely awoken by Lourdes' call.

"I did it!" Lourdes informed him cheerfully, beaming with pride. "I have the amulet with me. Both, actually. So there's part one of our problem solved!"

Arturo gave out a joyous laugh, celebrating in his own right. "Oh, granddaughter, I simply _knew_ that you could do it!" He paused to chuckle mirthfully once more before informing her, "Listen, I have to attend a two-day conference at York. In the meantime, keep the amulets in a _very_ safe place. I will give you a call when I return."

"Alright." Lourdes heaved out a heavy sigh, closing her eyes as she began slowly, "But there is something else that I need to tell you."

"What is it?" Arturo responded quickly with much worry lining his voice, "You are not hurt, are you?"

Lourdes had to bite her lip in advanced fear of repercussion before finally blurting out, "Tristan is with me."

For a few moments, Lourdes could only hear shuffling and static on the other line, then followed by muttered curses. Wincing at her grandfather's livid reaction, she waited as patiently as possible until he regained his calm composure. Breathing out heavily, Arturo groaned as he admonished her, "Lourdes, what did I tell you about doing such a thing? With Tristan in our time, it will change _everything_! His descendants, even King Arthur and his knights, will all be affected by his disappearance!"

"He kind of followed me here, alright? He would not give me the amulet unless he came!" Lourdes tried her best to reason with her grandfather, though knowing that he would not find any one of her excuses satisfactory in this circumstance. "Look, you and I both know what becomes of him. I thought that I would -"

"Be a good Samaritan and bring him along for the ride?" Arturo interjected with much sarcasm lining his voice. He continued through gritted teeth, "Lourdes, one rule of time travel is that you do _not_, and I mean, do _not_ mess with the course of history! It does not matter if you feel as though you are doing a good deed. History must progress naturally, on its own; people must live out their lives, for every action leads to a reaction, and..."

"I understand all of that!" Lourdes cried out in sheer frustration, pulling at her hair lightly. "But did you expect me to suddenly develop kung fu skills and beat the man to death in order to retrieve the amulet? This was the only way that I could bring it back!"

"Look, if you fancy the knight, just tell me." Arturo spat sternly. "Do not make excuses for something like that."

Lourdes found her mouth agape at this. She scoffed, "Look, it's not even _about_ that, and you know it! I am telling the truth! Do you _really_ think I would singlehandedly like to fuck up history for the sake of my love life?"

Arturo heaved another heavy sigh, unable to reason with her any longer. "Lourdes, I just hope that what you have done does not have far-reaching consequences. Sir Tristan's life of knightly service was of great importance to King Arthur and to the protection of Camelot. With his absence, the entire history of Camelot will be rewritten."

At this statement, Lourdes felt her heart grow heavy. She understood that she would change a _bit_ of history, but she never realized that the life of _one_ man would have such detrimental effects on posterity. Suddenly feeling much stupidity and guilt, she ran a hand over her face and hair, closing her eyes tightly. Finding only one solution, she blurted out, "Then he shall go back."

"And defeat the entire purpose of your journey to bring the amulet here?" Arturo was quick to interject. He stated, "Tristan cannot go back with the amulet. Not now. We cannot risk it."

Lourdes felt the helplessness of her situation creeping upon her as she squeaked, "So what am I to do?"

"Just...keep him and the amulets safe until I return." Arturo finally responded, feeling sympathetic for his granddaughter and their new plight. He said reassuringly, "We will decide our course of action then."

"Alright." Lourdes said dejectedly as she slightly hung her head.

"I will talk to you soon. Love you."

A small smile finally pulled upon her lips as she replied sincerely, "Love you, too, gramps."

Lourdes stood from her seat slowly as she turned off her phone. As she swirled around, though, she instantaneously bumped into Tristan's hard chest. Startled, she exclaimed, "Jesus Christ, where the hell did you come from?"

"Do you speak with yourself often?" was Tristan's only response. Though he asked the question with much sincerity, a twinkle of mirth became evident in his eyes as Lourdes stared at him, mouth agape.

"I was speaking on the phone with my grandfather and...well, a phone is..." Lourdes began in a frustrated manner, having little patience to explain to the knight the complicated workings of a telephone. She pushed at his chest lightly. "Ahhh, shut up!"

Tristan crossed his arms lightly. With a raised eyebrow, he commented, "As much as I try to understand you, milady, I do not think I ever will."

Lourdes actually smiled at this, glancing upwards at the tall knight. Meeting his dark orbs, she replied quietly, "You'll understand. You just have to be persistent."

The thick silence that enveloped them was enough to steal the comfort from their beings. In his heart, Tristan truly wanted to understand this world, to understand _her_. It was only recently that he had felt the pangs of true loneliness, a harsh reality that he had fought for so long to conceal, to contain. Even after he had regained his freedom, he chose not the comfort of companionship with a woman, his impenetrable spirit unnerved by their advances. And yet, the woman before him threatened to obliterate the wall that he had built upon his heart, the masterfully built defences that always severed any possibility of attachment. The simple life that he longed for was over; now, he was thrust into a world where he knew nothing -- except for this one woman. Tristan couldn't discern his sudden fascination with her; a woman of equivocal nature, yes, but nevertheless a woman that, for some reason or another, he wanted desperately to trust.

Lourdes could feel Tristan's dark orbs boring into her soul. He was doing it again; and once more, she felt the shivers running down her spine as she stood stalk still under his observance. Her fingers itched to touch him then, to feel the tawny hairs on his face, the tendrils of his dishevelled hair. He piqued her curiosity, ignited a feeling within her that she could not describe. She knew so much about him and his life, and yet, she desired and wished to really _know_ him.

Finally finding the discomfort too much to bear, Lourdes cleared her throat, motioning her head towards the washroom, "If you desire to bathe, I can prepare the bath for you?"

With a simple nod of simultaneous agreement and thanks, Tristan quietly followed Lourdes out of her room and into an adjacent washroom. As Lourdes flicked on the lights, she twisted open the shower faucet, feeling the water's temperature before turning back towards the knight. When she did so, she gave out an almost inaudible gasp, seeing that Tristan had already unclothed before her, leaving his wide, muscular chest open for her sheepish viewing. Tristan only observed her reaction with unflinching steadiness, his dark eyes searching her frozen face. A blush then came upon Lourdes' cheeks as she declined her head, clearing her throat.

"Here are some towels that you can use." she informed the knight shakily as she motioned her hand towards the counter. "When you are finished, just let me know."

Because she did not look up to meet his eyes, Lourdes did not see that Tristan had enclosed the space between them, his length now standing directly behind her. Without warning, he gripped the sides of her arms tightly, jerking her around roughly in order to face him. Lourdes cried out in surprise at this sudden action, hands resting on his hard, warm chest for support. Her breath was instantly stolen from her lungs. In an excruciatingly slow manner, he slid his palms down the length of her arms, then slowly rested them upon her waist. With shallow breathing, Lourdes met his inflamed eyes, and as she did so, she could discern the passion that emanated from his being. Encircling his arms fully around her waist, he pulled her even closer to him, so close that she swore that she could hear the beating of his heart.

Tristan was at a loss as to what exactly he was doing. He was acting on impulse, and, he reasoned, instinct. There were those that thought him heartless, devoid of any real human emotion; but that, he was quick to realize, was only a grain of the truth. What was this woman doing to him? Truly, she was a conjurer of spells, for he could not fathom how he had bent his self-control and was presently acting in such a way. Finally surrendering to his heightened emotions, he pressed Lourdes' body gently upon the wall, pinning her there. The scout felt her stiffen at this, and he eyed her questioningly, in fear that she was not in accordance to what he was doing.

"Tristan, I can't." Lourdes breathed out, her trembling hand tracing the side of the knight's face. "I have a boyfriend."

In puzzlement, Tristan reiterated, with the word rolling off of his tongue awkwardly, "Boy...friend?"

Lourdes bit her lip before she explained, "A man whom you date. Dating, as in you get to know them and become more intimate. Do things like...this." When Tristan still seemed confused by her words, Lourdes pursed her lips, circling her hand. "Equivalent of a lover."

"Oh." was the scout's quiet response. He immediately released her from his clutches after this, turning away from her almost dejectedly. He murmured, "I am sorry."

Lourdes frowned at this, desperately wanting to embrace the knight in apology. She was on the verge of uttering something when they heard,

"You know, if you were planning to cheat on me, at least do it with your door locked."

With wide eyes, Lourdes swirled to perceive Connor standing at the doorway, arms crossed in front of him, anger expertly masked by a stern expression on his countenance. Walking a few paces towards her, he spat through clenched teeth. "I _knew_ that you were fucking cheating on me! You don't even have the fucking _decency_ to break up with me before you..."

"Connor, you _have_ to believe this is not what it looks like." Lourdes stated with conviction, halting before him and placing her hands upon his firm face. "And even if I tried to explain it to you, you wouldn't understand. Hell, you wouldn't _believe _me!"

Connor's face distorted at her sad excuses, shaking his head as he clenched his jaw tightly. "After three fucking years," He gave a menacing look at Tristan, who stood still and silently, "you throw it all away for _him_?"

Tears began to teeter on the brink of Lourdes' eyes as she shook her head profusely. "Listen to me, Connor! I love you, and I would _never_ cheat on you! You _know_ me." When he refused to meet her eyes, Lourdes twisted his head with her hand so that he would face her. "Look at me, Connor! I would never do anything to hurt you. _Never_."

Whilst shaking his head, Connor wrapped his hands around her wrists, pulling them away from his being. He stated tight-lipped, "I want to believe you, Lourdes, but I can't." Giving Tristan another contemptuous look, he snapped at her, "Just remember what you had."

And with that, Connor turned on his heel and stalked out of the condominium, slamming the door forcefully behind him.

At this exchange, Tristan gulped, finally able to walk towards the trembling Lourdes before him. As soon as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, she immediately recoiled from his being. Through her sobs, she wailed, "Don't touch me!"

Nodding in acquiesce, Tristan could only watch after her as she stumbled into her room, instantly locking herself inside.

t t t

**A/N:** Aww, poor Lourdes. Poor Tristan. Poor Connor. -frowns-

What did you guys think? And what do you think will happen?


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N**: TADA! Well, I'm back! Surprised you all, didn't I? It's been almost a year since I've updated this story since I went to England, travelled, did mock King Arthur stuff (haha) and all that. Plus, I was having major writer's block with all of my King Arthur fics, which probably better explains why I haven't updated in ages. I've been concentrating on my Boondock Saints fic, so check that out too if you want! But yes, here's a long-awaited chapter of "When Worlds Collide". Thank you so much for your patience and for reading! Special thanks also go out to those who reviewed: Jenni, Lady Lily Rose, Priestess of the Myrmidon, Tigger-180, Raging Raven, Black Knight62, Readerfreak10, anarane2, Priscilla2, Litha2124, Nicole and SilverLight05.

It has been a long while since I've written a KA fic, so I may be a tad bit rusty. Though, I must say that I enjoyed writing this chapter. I'm not sure when I'll update again, so let's savour this chapter, shall we? lol xx Enjoy, and don't forget to review!

t t t

**CHAPTER 8**

"I dunna think I'm comfortable with this time-travelling…thing."

"I agree with Bors. What if something goes wrong?"

"Galahad, I think Merlin would know what he is doing. We should trust him."

"Dagonet is right. The Wizard has been practiced in dark magic for many years. He is knowledgeable about these occurrences."

"Aye, I certainly concur with Gawain. I think it would be rather enjoyable, actually. It just means that there will be even _more_ women to choose from!"

Once more, Arthur and his knights convened at the Round Table, seeking each other's counsel with regards to the matter of Tristan and the mysterious, exotic woman; and, more importantly, Merlin's seemingly daft proposal of traveling through time. They had spent a few days after they had met with the wizard to either propose another course of action or to agree with what had already been proposed. So far, the knights were all plagued with mixed feelings, some still caught in disbelief at Merlin's explanation for Tristan's baffling disappearance, while the others – one especially – wholeheartedly desired to follow through with this course of action, the prospects of more women somewhat clouding his true intentions of retrieving Tristan. Though, out of all of the knights, Arthur had been the one most consumed by indecision. One of his knights had already disappeared without a convincing, or highly believable, explanation; a man whom he felt was his responsibility. He did not want to endanger the lives of his other knights by blindly accepting this mission without fully understanding it. What he understood, though, was that it could lead to highly complicated, even disastrous, consequences – consequences that they may not be adequately properly prepared for.

After his long pause of silent deliberation, Arthur stood slowly from his throne, placing firm hands upon the edge of the Round Table. His regal poise silently commanded his presence, and almost immediately, the knights halted their boisterous debate. With all eyes upon him now, Arthur succinctly declared, "We cannot follow him."

The room became even _more_ silent, if that were at all possible at this point. The knights threw each other crooked glances, alternately wondering what had possessed Arthur to make such a decision. Confusion coursed through them then, for they somehow felt disappointment at Arthur's proclamation, as though they had even desired to go in the first place!

Breaking the silence that rested comfortably through the room, Lancelot pursed his lips as he questioned simply, "Why not?"

"You heard what Merlin had said." Now standing behind his chair, Arthur began to pace as he continued to ponder the situation. His gaze had fallen to the stone floor beneath him, arms clutched tightly behind his back. "A slight change in the past can have devastating effects on the future. If we leave Camelot now, my brothers-in-arms, what will then happen in the future? We do not exist in the world that we are going to, of that I am certain, but what of our tomorrow, the tomorrow here in Camelot? The people will not have us to lead them, to protect them, any longer. Should we risk the future of Camelot by accepting Merlin's proposal?"

"Arthur," Galahad was the first to respond, holding his arm out in front of him as he humbly countered, "We cannot wait here and do nothing while our comrade may be in danger. We still do not know his exact location as of yet, let a lone the exact _time_ that he is in. I am in accord with what you are saying, sire, but what if Tristan himself does not know the detrimental effects of his disappearance? Will that not also have a great impact on the future?"

The knights gave out certain nods, throwing approving glances at their king. Gawain ran his long fingers through his shaggy mane, breathing out slowly as he said, "It seems simple enough, really. Whatever magic Merlin possesses, if it _does_ bring us to the time where Tristan has gone, then that eases the problem of trying to find him." He brought up a finger, wagging it thoughtfully in front of him. "So when…or if…we are successful in retrieving Tristan from the future, then we have to find a way in returning at this particular point in time – our time – so as to make sure we do not severely alter the past."

Lancelot's eyebrows perked up. Immediately snapping his fingers at his comrade's suggestion, he obviously found something positive within it. "Brilliant, Gawain, simply brilliant!" Confusing the knights around him, he threw his head back and gave out a bellowing laugh. "Since I'm one of the best looking men within all of these lands, I need to populate this earth with as many good-looking children as I can, past or present. Hence, I _must_ go!"

Annoyed at his comrade's display of arrogance, even though it had a tint of mocking, Bors gave Lancelot an abrupt shove, grunting in his wake. Then giving him a light slap on the back of the head for good measure, he pointed a meaty finger upon Lancelot's sloped nose. "Now you listen 'here. This is no time to jest, Lancelot!"

The young knight blinked repeatedly, mouth slightly agape. "I was not jesting."

To the knights' surprise, Arthur suddenly began to chuckle, entire body shaking, becoming amused at Lancelot's impudence, whether mocking or not. Arthur knew that his best comrade was merely making light of the serious situation at hand, attempting to break the tension that clearly weaved itself amongst them. Though, Gawain _did_ have a point. Would it be possible to retrieve Tristan and then return to this point in the past? If that was so, then by the grace of God, nothing would be severely altered, and they may be able to simultaneously prevent the battles that take place in the future with regards to the amulet.

As if on cue, two loud knocks sounded from the entrance of the chamber, gaining all of the knights' attentions. At Arthur's command for the visitor to enter, they perceived Merlin, shakily entering the room as he was supported by his staff. He beamed them a smile, sincerely happy to see them. "Greetings, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table! As you may have guessed, I have come here to inquire whether or not you have all made a decision pertaining to Sir Tristan and time travelling."

"We have thought long and hard, Merlin, debated for days and days upon end about this matter," Arthur admitted, ushering his old friend towards a seat as he placed a supporting hand upon his upper back. "We have said both aye and nay, but I believe that now, we have instinctively and collectively come to an agreement." Merlin eyed the king expectantly, a knowing smile pulling upon his thin lips. Arthur recognized this expression, and he continued to proclaim, "Tristan may be in grave danger, wherever he may be, so we must help him. I will not let a knight of the Round Table travel alone, especially through time, as it so happens. Thus, we seek your magic, great Wizard, to transport us to the world of the future."

Merlin took a cursory glance around the room, discerning the looks of determination and acquiesce from all of the knights within the chamber. He, himself, was impressed with and proud of their ultimate decision, to see that they would risk so much to bring their comrade home. "I never once doubted that you all would make the right decision." Holding out his arms to the side, his staff poised high in the air in front of him, he beckoned for each of the knights to surround him. "Knights, this spell through time has a limit. Know it now and know it well. It will transport you to Tristan's time, whenever it may be, and will take you as close to the knight as possible. Though, you only have one chance, and only one chance, to return home. This is a great risk that you are all taking, so heed my warnings and only conjure this spell when you are certain that you desire to return here, at this time, in Camelot." With nods of understanding, the knights gathered around the Wizard, forming a circle. "Place the point of your swords upon my staff. Think hard of your comrade and repeat what I say." Taking deep breaths, the knights simultaneously unsheathed their swords, the tips clinking as they met upon Merlin's staff. Merlin began:

_Oh beautiful and powerful Lady of the Lake_

_Upon our swords we call out to thee,_

_Lend us your magic and give us your strength,_

_So that we may course through time in its length._

A surge of light came down from the heavens, lighting the chamber in its entirety. Another beam soon followed, its straight fall landing upon the knights, illuminating their swords.

When Merlin's eyes fluttered open, he found himself alone in the room.

t t t

Tristan could not remember how long he had lied on the floor of her 'li-ving room' as he remained awake, listening to Lourdes' muffled sobs coming from behind her bedroom door. When he thought about what had transpired between her and her 'friend-boy', rightly brought about his own rash and completely inappropriate advances upon her, he had felt a tinge of an emotion that he had not felt in a very long time: remorse. He had confused himself then, for he was not one prone to deliberately hasty actions. Why had he not thought about the wishes of this woman in the first place? Her status? Her own feelings for him, if there were any? He was not accustomed to _not_ seeing things coming, and this particular situation disconcerted him. What was it about this woman that had him completely off-guard, laying down his defenses, if he may call it that? Is this entirely new world the reason why he's been so completely vulnerable as of late?

Though, he was certain that if she had held him in any high regard before, he was now nowhere near her good graces - definitely not after what had occurred between them. Feeling himself discombobulated by this new situation, coupled with the other, more oppressing one looming above his head, he disregarded everything at the moment, finally deciding to take the bath that Lourdes had prepared for him. Lithely making his way into the bathroom, he crept towards the bathtub, having only the dim moonlight shining through the window to guide featherweight footsteps. As he splashed the liquid upon his arm, he found that the water had gone terribly cold. Slightly shivering at the feeling, he garnered enough will to step into the 'white bucket', as he called it, involuntarily trembling. With a mere grunt, he tossed the towel that he had been wearing aside, bending down and finally sinking into the water. It took a bit of time for the scout to adjust to the temperature, but after a while, he found that he was actually _relaxed_, another emotion that he had not felt in a long while. Resting his head upon the edge of the tub, he crossed his arms upon his broad chest, eyes curiously wandering around the white, tiled room. There were so many objects that he had never before seen in his life, bizarre things. He could only wonder. Taking a bottled liquid that was placed upon the right side of the bathtub, he quickly popped the lid open, instinctively sniffing it. _Smells like lilacs after a gentle summer rain_, he mused to himself, having absolutely no idea what it was for. Mindlessly tossing the liquid aside, he continued to rummage through the other objects placed around him, curiosity taking over his entire being.

A sudden pop caught his attention.

His eyes sliding to his side, he noticed several other bubbles appearing from within the water around him. As the seconds wore on, he realized that the more he splashed around, the more bubbles seemed to appear. The scent of lilacs filled his nose again as hundreds of them now crowded around him, ruthlessly covering him from head to toe. He gave out a mumble of annoyance when the bubbles would not stop forming, now creating a wall of defense around him, trapping him. Flicking them aside, he continuously shook them from his hair and wiped them off his face.

The light suddenly turned on.

With another sob, Lourdes dragged her feet as she stalked unceremoniously inside the washroom, dry tears lining her soft countenance. Tristan sat frozen in the bathtub, gaze flickering towards her form. Almost immediately, her eyes connected with Tristan's, growing wide. As she felt her heart jump through the roof in surprise, she gave out an ear piercing scream. "Fuck! What the hell are you _doing_ here?"

"I thought it would be quite obvious, milady." Tristan replied in a low tone, motioning to the heap of bubbles surrounding him.

Lourdes let out a shriek of annoyance, clenched fists resting firmly to her sides. When she had thought that she had regained some form of composure, she lifted a steady finger, pointing it guiltily towards the bathing knight. "You! Because of you and your little display of affection back there, Connor and I are permanently over! My life's already been disrupted, destroyed, because of _your_ damned amulet! Then _this_? I didn't need another negative thing to happen in my life!"

To speak in defense, Tristan abruptly stood, water and bubbles dripping all over him from head to toe. Lourdes sucked a breath, immediately darting her eyes away from his naked form. Though, before she had looked away, she recognized the blatant rage upon his countenance, which shone through even though he attempted to conceal his true emotions. "I did not know you were promised." He succinctly replied in a low growl, his dark eyes boring through her. "My life has also been disrupted. I never asked for this to pass."

"Neither did I!" Releasing all of her accumulated stress, pain and anger, she cried, "Do you think that I _prayed_ to be the one to go to Camelot, _wished_ to be the one to seek you and bring the amulet back to my time? No! I came because of my grandfather's request, because the world is apparently at stake." She pointed a finger at his form once more without looking at him. "And you! Don't make it seem as though I tied and forced you to come with me! You yourself came at your own volition, so you better not be pointing any fingers in _my_ direction!"

At her assertion, Lourdes heard the knight swiftly step out of the bathtub, the water wildly splashing around the room. In a rugged motion, Tristan placed on his towel, wrapping it around his waist haphazardly. With heavy, wide strides, he exited the bathroom without a word, pushing past Lourdes as he began to make his way to the adjacent room towards his scattered belongings.

Lourdes swallowed, feeling panic course through her veins. Hastily following his tracks, she walked into the living room, where she perceived him snatching his belongings left and right – his weapons, armour and the like - and wildly shoving them into a sac without a thought. "What are you doing?" She hissed in a distressed manner through her gritted teeth, walking towards his side. "Where do you think you're going?"

No reply.

Tristan continued to gather his belongings, wholly disregarding her presence. It actually _pained_ him to know that his family's amulet was causing others to suffer and was the premise of an entire _war_ in the future. He had to prevent, or end this, somehow, without endangering anyone else's life. To his side, Lourdes continued to question his intentions. When he felt her attempting to pull his arm in order to turn him around to face her, his instincts took hold of him, and he immediately grasped her wrist. Lourdes let out a sharp gasp at his sudden reflex, now attempting to shake the clinging knight off of her being. Tristan's form held strong, though, and he merely pulled her abruptly towards him.

Placing her arm forward in order to soften their collision, Lourdes landed upon his strong chest. Still finding herself unable to breathe, she halted her squirming, seeing that her resistance only made the knight more determined to keep her in place. Without so much as a sigh, Tristan claimed her lips in his, roughly, hungrily. Lourdes let out a low moan, finding herself completely captivated by his rugged touch. Feeling her relaxing upon him, Tristan released her wrist. Instead, he placed his hands behind her back, jerking her body towards his. The lengths of their forms were now touching, molding, and Tristan did not halt his assault on her lips, still tasting her, biting her.

Lourdes suddenly pulled away from his being, dizzy, breathless. "You're confused about what you feel," she said in but a mere whisper, hands upon the knight's chest as if to keep herself steady. She could not meet his stormy eyes, refusing to succumb to his ministrations. Her own were a dark shade of brown, glossed with simultaneous desire and confusion. She squeaked, "You're in a strange world, all by your lonesome. You don't know what you're doing. I can understand that."

"You presume to know how I feel?"

His grip tightened upon her as he said this, his nose touching the side of her cheek, then tracing down her neck as he freely breathed in her flowery scent. He felt her involuntarily shiver at this, her body reacting to his scorching touch. Lourdes was frozen under his hard touch, his hard body, breath sucked in, still refusing to meet his intense eyes. _What am I doing?_, she scolded herself, still unable to bulge from her position. Lourdes couldn't deny it. She wanted to kiss him now, desired for more of his touch – but she had to fight it. She just _had_ to fight it, because…

A low moan automatically escaped from her lips as Tristan began to lick, nip and bite the side of her neck. She automatically rolled her head back, allowing him more access to her flesh. He held her closely once more, his touch now gentle, calloused fingers itching their way below her shirt as he massaged her back. She was so warm, so delicate, so innocent that Tristan somehow felt that he needed to protect her.

But this wasn't him.

This wasn't what he should be doing.

Releasing her as quickly as he had captured her, Tristan left Lourdes stunned, glazed eyes eyeing him in simultaneous confusion and wonder. Taking a step back to make his intentions clear, the Scout proclaimed,

"That will not happen again."

t t t

**A/N**: So what'd you guys think? Any ideas as to what will happen next? I promise I will try to update as soon as I possibly can. Let's just hope it doesn't take another year! haha xx IFHD


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